You see a patient with a goiter. You run some tests and find the patient is iodine deficient. Explain how iodine is used in the production of thyroid hormones. Also, explain how a goiter might form as a result of iodine deficiency. Be sure to include the role of TSH in your response
Iodine atoms are attached to tyrosine molecules. Tyrosine molecules join together forming thyroid hormones as triiodothyronine (with 3 iodine atoms) or thyroxine (with 4 iodine atoms). If the patient is iodine deficient then he cannot produce adequate levels of thyroid hormones and negative feedback to the anterior pituitary does not occur. When the body is deficient in thyroid hormone the anterior pituitary will produce excess TSH trying to stimulate the thyroid gland. Excess TSH will cause the gland to hypertrophy and form a goiter.
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