part of part of tube thyroid gland thyroglossal duct https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Illu08_thyroid.jpg An embryological anatomical structure that forms an open connection between the initial area of development of the thyroid gland and its final position; it is located exactly midline, between the anterior 2/3rds and posterior 1/3rd of the tongue; this duct normally atrophies and closes off as the foramen cecum before birth. ductus thyroglossalis NCIT:C49783 A duct, called the thyroglossal duct in mammals, is considered to be characteristic of thyroid development. The thyroglossal duct, degenerating in many species during late development, marks the way the thyroid primordium relocates during embryonic development from the pharynx to its position deep in the cervical mesenchyme. We cannot exclude that the duct of the endostyle and the thyroglossal duct may have evolved independently, but as they both represent a more or less persistent connection of the organ to the pharynx, it is likely that they are homologous structures.[well established][VHOG] UMLS:C0231104 Wikipedia:Thyroglossal_duct An embryonic duct extending between the thyroid primordium and the posterior tongue. [TFD][VHOG] SCTID:308822005 FMA treats this as vestigial MA:0000130 UBERON:0002254 EMAPA:17070 ductus thyroglossus VHOG:0000746 FMA:77274 remnant of embryonic structure