Triiodothyronine, C15H12I3NO4, also known as T3, is a thyroid hormone. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) activates the production of thyroxine (T4) and T3. This process is under regulation. In the thyroid, T4 is converted to T3. TSH is inhibited mainly by T3. The thyroid gland releases greater amounts of T4 than T3, so plasma concentrations of T4 are 40-fold higher than those of T3. Most of the circulating T3 is formed peripherally by deiodination of T4 (85%), a process that involves the removal of iodine from carbon 5 on the outer ring of T4. Thus, T4 acts as prohormone for T3.