Four tiny glands in the neck regulate the exact level of calcium in your blood
Four tiny parathyroid glands in the neck monitor the blood with extreme precision, adjusting calcium levels to within a fraction of a milligram.
The parathyroid glands, which together weigh just 0.16 grams, serve a single, critical purpose: maintaining ionized calcium levels. If calcium drops even slightly, 'chief cells' in these glands detect the change via calcium-sensing receptors and immediately release parathyroid hormone (PTH).
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