Lecture 21 - Iron

Question 1

Protein attachments of iron?

Answer 1

Transferrin (blood transport), ferritin (storage), haemoglobin (active form in oxygen transport)

Question 2

Iron absorption?

Answer 2

Iron ingested, mucosal cells store excess iron in muscosal ferritin (lack of body requirement leads to excretion), muscosal transferrin hands iron to another transferrin to carry through blood stream

Question 3

Biochemical markers of iron levels?

Answer 3

Transferrin, transferrin receptors, ferritin

Question 4

Heme vs nonheme iron?

Answer 4

Heme (animal) accounts for less daily iron intake but is better absorbed

Question 5

Factors enhancing non-heme iron absorption?

Answer 5

MFP factor, vit C., citric acid from foods, lactic acid from foods, stomach HCl, sugars

Question 6

3 stages of iron deficiency?

Answer 6

Depleted storage iron, iron restricted erythropoesis, iron deficiency anaemia

Question 7

Iron brain benefits?

Answer 7

Myelination, neural growth and development, neurotransmitter regulation