Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

gland, sudoriferous
See 
gland, sweat.
gland, sweat
A small tubular gland that is situ-
ated in the subcutaneous tissue within and under
the skin. Sweat glands discharge sweat through tiny
openings in the surface of the skin. The sweat itself
is a transparent, colorless, acidic fluid that contains
some fatty acids and mineral matter. Also known as
sudoriferous gland.
gland, tarsal
See 
gland, Meibomian.
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gland, thyroid
A gland that makes and stores hor-
mones that help regulate heart rate, blood pressure,
body temperature, and the conversion of food to
energy (metabolism). Thyroid hormones are also
essential for proper growth and development. The
thyroid gland is located in the lower part of the neck,
below the Adam’s apple, wrapped around the wind-
pipe (the trachea). It has the shape of a butterfly: two
wings (lobes) attached to one another by a middle
part. The thyroid uses iodine, a mineral found in
some foods and in iodized salt, to make its hor-
mones. The two most important thyroid hormones
are thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3).
Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), which is pro-
duced by the pituitary gland, acts to stimulate hor-
mone production by the thyroid gland. The thyroid
gland also makes the hormone calcitonin, which 
is involved in calcium metabolism and stimulating
bone cells to add calcium to bone. See also 
calci-
tonin; hyperthyroid; hypothyroidism; thyroxine;
triiodothyronine.
glandular fever
Infectious mononucleosis. See
also 
mononucleosis.