Thyroid cell

The thyroid cell or thyroid glomus is an unpaired shield that protects the homologs of the larynx or thymus in four-legged vertebrates from damage to the posterior abdominal wall (detected on the skeleton mainly in larger animals). The scutellous glomus opens outward on the neck in front of the C6 vertebra, connects here with the large thymic glocums and serves as an intercostal tubercle that rises to the ribs above. The scutellous process separates the third and fourth arches of the seventh cervical vertebra above, and along the line between it and the fourth intervertebral disc of the sixth vertebra a very long protruded thyroid bone extends laterally, equal in width to the ribs.