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Glite Dictionary
thyroglobulin

thyroglobulin

1 9.9
A protein made in the thyroid gland that the body uses to make thyroid hormones
  • noun
  • /ˌθaɪroʊˈɡlɒb.jʊ.lɪn/
  • Specialized
: tiroglobulina
  • Serum thyroglobulin levels can be measured during follow-up to screen for recurrent or metastatic disease in patients with well-differentiated cancer.
  • thyroglobulin level

Examples

  • On routine follow-up, she was found to have an elevated thyroglobulin level (15.2 ng/ml), and she was referred to our department.

    Academic text (2005)

  • An unambiguous advantage of total thyroidectomy is that it allows for precise follow-up with thyroglobulin and radioactive iodine scanning.

    Academic text (2002)

  • The patient's postoperative thyroglobulin level was 0.

    Academic text (2005)

  • Histochemical staining for cytokeratin was negative, but strongly positive for thyroglobulin.

    Academic text (1998)

  • The way to find out is to get your thyroid antibodies tested: TPO and thyroglobulin.

    Blog text (31)

  • The doctor's report showed that the patient's thyroglobulin level was normal after treatment.

  • Measuring thyroglobulin levels is crucial for monitoring thyroid cancer patients.

  • After the surgery, the specialist checked the thyroglobulin levels to ensure there was no recurrence of the disease.

Surface Forms

thyroglobulin singular
thyroglobulins plural

Morphology

thyroglobulin = globulin (semi-transparent) = thyro + globulin + thyro

The form clearly combines 'thyro-' (thyroid) with 'globulin' to mean a globulin related to the thyroid, but both constituents are technical medical terms and not familiar to average learners.

Etymology

Thyroglobulin breaks into two parts: thyro-, like thyroid, which comes from a word for 'shield' because the gland is shield-shaped, and globulin, from a word for a 'small ball' used for a type of protein. So, thyroglobulin is a 'small-ball' protein made in the thyroid that helps make thyroid hormones.