Which gland is butterfly-shaped and located in the anterior neck?

• A. Thyroid
• B. Pituitary
• C. Parathyroid
• D. Adrenal

Answer: (A)

The thyroid gland is the one described. It has a distinctive butterfly shape, with two lobes that lie on either side of the trachea and are connected by a central isthmus, all in the front of the neck just below the larynx. This anterior neck position and the bilobed appearance are the defining features that point to the thyroid. In contrast, the pituitary sits inside the brain, the adrenal glands sit atop the kidneys in the abdomen, and the parathyroid glands are small nodules on the back surface of the thyroid rather than forming that butterfly shape in the front of the neck.