What is the importance of iodine in the body?

Iodine is mainly utilized by the thyroid to create the hormone, thyroxine. Thyroxine levels control the body cells' metabolic rates. If there is a high level of thyroxine, then the body cells' metabolic rate would be high. The control of metabolic rate is important in order for survival. Too little iodine and the body has an inhibition to produce thryroxine, resulting in a low metabolic, enlarged thyroid and possible death.