[Iron and the supply of iron in warm-blooded animals]

Abstract

An adult man contains roughly 4-5 g of iron. Nearly 70% of this amount is present in hemoglobin and myoglobin. About 11% is accounted for by iron enzymes, e.g., heme enzymes that play a decisive role in cellular metabolism. Almost 19% of the body iron are deposed in iron stores. The distribution of iron in the body to the tissues and organs is handled by transferrin, a protein that binds iron so tightly that scarcely any free, i.e., ionized and hence toxic iron can exist. Since iron can only be excreted to an insignificant extent either in the urine or bile, the metabolism of iron is balanced almost exclusively by the absorption of this metal from food. This is especially true in the case of iron deficiency, e.g., in the young and growing organism, in pregnant females, or after iron loss.