What is iron?Iron is an essential mineral, with several important roles in the body.

Why do we need iron? Iron is a mineral that is found in every cell in the body. It is vital for both physical health and mental well being. Oxygen and carbon dioxide transport via hemoglobin It is necessary for ATP production Essential component of many enzymes Immune function Brain function

What is function of iron? Iron is used in the body to make a substance called hemoglobin in red blood cells. It is required for normal metabolism and removing waste substances from the body The immune system also needs iron. Girls and women need more iron than boys because they lose blood each month

through menstruation Lack of iron leads to iron deficiency anemia.

Biochemical functions: Iron is a component of several functionally important

molecules Iron is required for the synthesis of hemoglobin,

myoglobin, cytochromes, catalase, peroxidase Cytochromes and certain non-heme proteins are

necessary for ETC and oxidative phosphorylation Peroxidase, the lysosomal enzyme is required for

phagocytosis and killing of bacteria.

Iron function in blood

SEVERAL PARTS OF PROTEINS:-HEME• MOLECULAR STRUCTURE- beta and alpha chain - iron in the middle• HEMOGLOBIN -oxygen transport to tissues• MYOGLOBIN -storage of oxygen in muscle• CYTOCHOROMES:-transport of oxygen to the respiratory chain

How iron is transported in our blood?

Hemoglobin, or Hb, is a protein molecule found in red blood cells (erythrocytes) made of four subunits:

two alpha subunits and two beta subunits . Each subunit surrounds a central heme group that contains iron

and binds one oxygen molecule, allowing each hemoglobin molecule to bind four oxygen molecules.

Molecules with more oxygen bound to the heme groups are brighter red. As a result, oxygenated arterial blood where the Hb is carrying four oxygen molecules is bright red, while venous blood that is deoxygenated is darker red

Life span of RBC’s is 120 days, so for every three months they should be replenished

Iron function in females

Pregnant women require a greater amount of iron because of this expanded red blood cell volume, to meet the needs of the baby and placenta, and the mother herself. In addition, much blood is lost at delivery, which makes it important to take even more iron during the second and third trimesters.

Importance of iron in men

The main purpose of iron is to help in the transportation and storage of oxygen to all parts of the body. In addition, iron assists in energy production and cell respiration, while also helping the immune and central nervous systems.

How iron absorbed in body?

Iron is brought into the cell through an active transport process involving the protein DMT-1 (divalent metal transporter-1) which is expressed on the apical surface of enterocytes in the initial part of the duodenum. DMT-1 is not specific to iron, and can transport other metal ions such as zinc, copper, cobalt, manganese, cadmium or lead.

Iron that enters the internal environment of the body from the basolateral surface of the enterocyte is rapidly bound to transferrin, an iron-binding protein of the blood. Transferrin delivers iron to red blood cell precursors, that take up iron bound to transferrin via receptor-mediated endocytosis.

Normally, the capacity of transferrin to bind iron in the plasma greatly exceeds the amount of circulating iron. The transferrin saturation (percent of transferrin occupied by iron) is measured to determine if an individual has an excessive load of iron in the body. The normal transferrin saturation is in the range of 20-45%.

how iron absorption affected? 1. One signal reflects the need for iron due to erythropoiesis (red

blood cell generation). The hormone erythropoietin (produced by the kidneys) stimulates red blood cell production, but it is NOT the signal regulating iron absorption. Rather, once erythropoiesis is stimulated, another signal is generated that promotes increased iron absorption.

2. A second signal depends upon the amount of iron in body stores. Iron absorption is stimulated if the level in body stores is low.

These signals (and others) regulate iron absorption in the proximal duodenum, where iron is absorbed. An important player in this regulation is the recently discovered hormone hepcidin. Hepcidin is produced by hepatocytes when iron stores are full. Inflammation can also stimulate hepcidin production.

Iron function in plants

improper functioning of iron