Iron Metabolism Flashcards
uses of iron
- formation of haemoglobin
- DNA synthesis
- muscle activity
- regulation of body temperature
- brain development & function
- facilitates oxygen transport
haem iron
- haem protein attached to iron
- only animal sources
- easy absorption of haem iron from food
- e..g. red meat, poultry, liver, fish
non-haem iron
- iron bound with other compounds
- plant sources
- e.g. beans, nuts, lentils, greeny leaves
daily requirement of iron for men
8mg per day
daily requirement of iron for women
18mg per day
daily requirement of iron for pregnant women
28mg per day
iron mainly lost by …
- menstruation
- desquamation of epithelial cells
what is epidermal desquamation?
invisible shedding of corneocytes from the outermost layer of the stratum corneum
corneocytes?
cells that make up most of the outer layer of human skin
absorption of iron occurs in the …
duodenum + upper jejunum
what does duodenal cytochrome B do?
reduces Fe3+ to Fe2+
what does DMT 1 do?
uptakes Fe2+ and brings into enterocyte
Ferroportin 1
Fe2+ transported into bloodstream through ferroportin 1
why are bones important in reguation of iron?
they produce transferrin that binds to Fe2+ and transports iron through blood
hepatocytes sense…when blood comes back to liver from processing
transferrin + Fe2+
