The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped organ located at the base of your neck. The function of the thyroid gland is to produce hormones that are vitally important to the body’s metabolism and regulate other important bodily functions, including our nervous system, heart rate, breathing, muscle strength, and body temperature. The thyroid gland is part of the endocrine system and takes iodine, found in many foods, to convert it to produce thyroid hormone. Iodine deficiency can lead to the development of hypothyroidism (low thyroid function) and goiter (thyroid enlargement).