The Thyroid is a gland which involves in metabolism. It is a part of the endocrine system.
The Thymus is a part of the lymphatic system where it takes part in the immune response. The Thyroid is responsible for making thyroid hormones.
The Thymus, on the other hand, shrinks with an increase in age. The Thyroid sticks to its length.
Key Takeaways
- The thyroid and Thymus are two different endocrine glands in the neck and chest.
- While the thyroid produces hormones that regulate metabolism and growth, the Thymus produces hormones that stimulate the immune system.
- Thyroid disorders can lead to weight gain, fatigue, and other health problems, while Thymus disorders can lead to immune system dysfunction and autoimmune diseases.
Thyroid vs Thymus
The thyroid is a gland that belongs to the endocrine system. The thyroid produces hormones that are responsible for metabolism. Thymus is an organ that is a part of the lymphatic system, and it plays an important role in the immune system. With age, it shrinks, which means it changes size.
The Thyroid is a gland that is present in the endocrine system. It is present in the neck and is divided into sections.
These sections consist of follicles. Epithelia surround the whole section.
While the Hormones get built in the follicles, it is the source of thyroxine(T4) and triiodothyronine(T3).
The Thymus is an organ responsible for the immune system. It is present in the lymphatic system.
The size is the largest when the person is just born. It starts shrinking when the person starts growing and aging.
The older you are smaller the thymus. The thymus is divided into two lobules.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Thyroid | Thymus |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A gland present in the endocrine system. | An organ present in the lymphatic system. |
| Structure | Two sections with follicles and surrounded by epithelia. | A capsule with an inner medulla with two lobes. |
| Size | Consistent | Shrinks with an increase in age |
| Produces | Thyroxine and Triiodothyronine | T cells |
| Responsible | Metabolism | Cell-mediated immune response |
| Disorder | Weight loss, weight gain, heart disease | Myasthenia gravis, hypogammaglobulinemia |
What is Thyroid?
An organ that resides in the endocrine system. It is responsible for the secretion of two types of hormones which are responsible for metabolism in the body.
It is present in the neck. It is differentiated into two lobes.
These lobes have follicles that are covered by epithelia. Hormones are built in the follicles.
These hormones are solely responsible for controlling metabolism in the body.
These hormones get formed with the help of iodine within the follicles. The anterior pituitary gland and the hypothalamus control the action of hormone secretion in the body.
These both reside in the brain.
This is controlled by a negative feedback loop. Hypothalamus starts working when thyroid hormones decrease in the body.
The Thyroid is responsible for the secretion of triiodothyronine and thyroxine, which helps in metabolism in the body.
A person can have anyone disorder, either due to a few hormones or more hormones. If a person is facing a disorder due to more hormones, then the person can gain a lot of weight, but if the person is facing a disorder due to fewer hormones, then the person might lose weight very fast.
What is Thymus?
A gland is responsible for the immune system present in the lymphatic system. It has a capsule in the outer region, and inside there is a medulla that forms the whole thymus.
It consists of two sections which are called lobules.
The thymus becomes small when the person starts aging. An old person has a very small size of thymus in the body.
The hypothalamus and pituitary gland are responsible for the production of immune system cells.
It is also responsible for the maturation of cells in the Thymus. The pituitary sends a signal to the thymus for the production of T-cells.
Many conditions can arrive due to the disorder of the thymus. Those conditions are myasthenia gravis and hypogammaglobulinemia.
These conditions secrete chemicals which are antibodies.
These antibodies attack the muscle cells. It consists of various cells, which are reticulocytes and lymphocytes.
The thymus must prevent pathogens from entering the body. It protects from viruses.
It also takes care of the newborn child. It is the place where the transformation of white cells begins and turns into T cells.
It protects the developing fetus from viruses.
The thymus in babies is found to be larger than the old person. The condition of myasthenia gravis occurs in the body and makes the thymus grow longer in size.
Main Differences Between Thyroid and Thymus
- The Thyroid is a gland in the endocrine system, whereas the Thymus is an organ in the lymphatic system.
- The Thyroid has two sections with follicles and epithelia surround them, whereas the Thymus is like a capsule and has an inner medulla section with two lobes.
- The thyroid has consistent size, but the Thymus shrinks with an increase in age.
- The Thyroid produces thyroxine and Triiodothyronine, whereas Thyme produces T cells of the immune system.
- The Thyroid is responsible for metabolism, whereas the Thymus is responsible for cell-mediated immune response.
- The Thyroid can produce either a large number of hormones or less amount, whereas the Thymus can lead to myasthenia gravis and hypogammaglobulinemia.
- https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mark_Vanderpump/publication/51619844_The_epidemiology_of_thyroid_disease/links/54f35bea0cf24eb8794c2bd6.pdf
- https://www.nature.com/articles/ni.1887
Last Updated : 20 June, 2023
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