More info
L-Thyroxine (T4) is a hormone that is synthesized and stored in the thyroid gland. The thyroid hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and its prohormone, thyroxine (T4), are tyrosine-based hormones produced by the thyroid gland that are primarily responsible for regulation of metabolism. Iodine is necessary for the production of T3 and T4. A deficiency of iodine leads to decreased production of T3 and T4, enlarges the thyroid tissue and will cause the disease known as simple goitre. The major form of thyroid hormone in the blood is thyroxine (T4), which has a longer half-life than T3. Proteolytic cleavage of follicular thyroglobulin releases T4 into the bloodstream. Greater than 99% of Thyroxine (T4) is reversibly bound to three plasma proteins in blood - thyroxine binding globulin (TBG) binds 70%, thyroxine binding pre-albumin (TBPA) binds 20%, and albumin binds 10%. Approximately 0.03% of T4 is in the free, unbound state in blood at any one time.
