Iron

Question 1

How is the body’s iron compartmentalised?

Answer 1

Available ‘active’ iron

Stored iron

Question 2

Where is the body’s available iron found?

Answer 2

Haemoglobin

Myoglobin

Tissue iron

Serum iron

Question 3

How is iron stored in the body?

Answer 3

Ferritin

Haemosiderin

Question 4

What is ferritin?

Answer 4

A soluble molecule with an iron mineral core

Question 5

What is haemosiderin?

Answer 5

An insoluble form of iron store

Question 6

Do humans have a pathway for excretion of iron?

Answer 6

No

Question 7

How is the concentration of iron regulated?

Answer 7

By absorbing enough to match the losses

Question 8

How much iron enters and leaves the body in a day?

Answer 8

1-2mg

Question 9

What are the two types of dietary iron sources?

Answer 9

Haem iron

Non-Haem iron

Question 10

Which source of iron is better?

Answer 10

Haem iron

Question 11

How much haem iron is needed/day in the diet?

Answer 11

10-15mg

Question 12

What is the metabolic product of digested haem iron?

Answer 12

Fe²⁺ (ferrous)

Question 13

What is the metabolic product of digested non-haem iron?

Answer 13

Fe³⁺ (ferric)

Question 14

How is haem iron absorbed and converted to Fe²⁺?

Answer 14

Enters the enterocytes of the small intestine wall and iron is released as Fe