Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index The parathyroid glands are endocrine glands in the neck, usually located within the thyroid gland, which produce parathyroid hormone. Most often there are four parathyroid glands but have been known to number six or eight. Parathyroid hormone takes part in the control of calcium and phosphorus homeostasis, as well as bone physiology. Disorders of the parathyroid hormone receptor have been associated with Jansen's metaphyseal chondroplasia and Blomstrand's chondroplasia. This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.