Function of Parathyroid Glands

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According to the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons (AAES)...

“the parathyroid glands are four tiny glands, located in the neck, that control the body’s calcium levels. Each gland is about the size of a grain of rice (weighs approximately 30 milligrams and is 3-4 millimeters in diameter). The parathyroids produce a hormone called parathyroid hormone (PTH). PTH raises the blood calcium level by:

1) breaking down the bone (where most of the body’s calcium is stored) and causing calcium release
2) increasing the body’s ability to absorb calcium from food
3) increasing the kidney’s ability to hold on to calcium that would otherwise be lost in the urine.



Produced and distributed by the Norman Parathyroid Center