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thyroid hormone

(Science: endocrinology) thyroxine and tri iodothyronine are hormones secreted by the thyroid gland in vertebrates. These iodinated aromatic amino acid compounds influence growth and metabolism and, in amphibia, metamorphosis. The hormone calcitonin which has hypocalcaemic effects is also of thyroid origin but is not usually classed with thyroxine and tri iodothyronine as a thyroid hormone.