Explain Metabolism of Iron?
In this sub-section, we will study how body gets its iron supply, how iron is transported and utilized by the various tissues and how iron balance is maintained. Like other minerals, we obtain iron from the diet, which is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. A unique feature of iron metabolism is that the body re-utilizes quantitatively the iron released from the degradation of erythrocytes, with very little being excreted. Hence, it is very frequently mentioned that once iron enters the body, the body holds on to it tenaciously. We will first learn how dietary iron is absorbed and then review how the iron is re-utilized.