4.5. Dietary Nutrients and Absorption - Iron Flashcards
What percentage of ingested Iron is absorbed into the Blood?
10%
What transports Iron from the Lumen of the Alimentary Tract into the Duodenal Enterocyte?
The Divalent Metal Transporter - 1 (DMT-1)
Where is the Divalent Metal Transporter - 1 (DMT-1) found?
The Brush Border Membrane
What are Iron Ions incorporated into?
Ferritin
What is Ferritin?
A Protein-Iron complex
What is the function of Ferritin?
It acts as an Intra-cellular Store of Iron
What happens to Unbound Iron?
It is transported across the Serosal Membrane into the Blood
What is the Unbound Iron, which is transported into the Blood, bound to?
Transferrin
What is Ferritin Expression regulated by?
The Body’s Iron Status
What happens to the Ferritin Levels in Anaemia?
They will decrease, so less Iron is bound in the Enterocyte and more is transported into the Blood (remains unbound)
What happens to the Ferritin Levels in Hyperanaemia?
They will increase, so more Iron is bound in the Enterocyte and less is transported into the Blood (remains bound)
