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Triiodothyronine (t3)

Meaning

Triiodothyronine (T3) is the most potent and metabolically active of the thyroid hormones, characterized by the presence of three iodine atoms on its molecular structure. It is the critical hormone responsible for modulating the body’s basal metabolic rate, influencing oxygen consumption, heat production, and affecting the function of nearly all major organ systems. While some T3 is secreted directly by the thyroid gland, the majority of active T3 is produced through the peripheral deiodination of its precursor, thyroxine (T4).