The Right Chemistry

Our thyroid – the butterfly-shaped gland that lies in the neck in front of the windpipe – produces hormones vital for control of our metabolism, heart and more. Two are the iodine-containing T3 (3 iodine atoms per molecule) and T4 (with 4 iodines). Production is regulated by another hormone, TSH, from the brain’s pituitary gland which instructs thyroid cells to split the protein thyroglobulin and add iodine, releasing T3 and T4 into the blood, forming a negative feedback loop to the pituitary. T4 was isolated in 1915, and then in 1952 Rosalind Pitt-Rivers (born on this day in 1907) working with her post-doc Jack Gross, published their discovery of T3, achieved by tracking thyroid molecules with radioactive iodine. Pitt-Rivers had gained her degree and master’s in chemistry at Bedford College, University of London, and spent a large part of her working life at the UK’s Medical Research Council’s National Institute for Medical Research. Here, towards the end of her career, she met immunologist Av Mitchison with whom she made a significant contribution to yet another field.

Written by Lindsey Goff

Lindsey Goff

Editor-in-Chief

Formerly immunologist for Cancer Research UK, Lindsey has since moved into the field of scientific publishing. She looks after all BPoD editorial matters.

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