Iron Metabolism
WHAT IS IRON METABOLISM? Di d you know that the usual iron intake is 10-20 mg per day for a person but the absorption is only 1-2 mg per day? Yes, it is that little! Iron can be obtained from the food we eat, such as meat and vegetables. Iron is an important element and is needed for the production of erythrocytes (erythropoiesis), as well as other important processes. It requires a tightly regulated process and takes place in the duodenum. In this article, we will go deeper about the process involved in iron metabolism which include iron absorption, transportation, and storage. From the diagram above, you can see the enterocyte. The left side is apical membrane and the other side is basolateral membrane. Let me tell you the process one by one so it will be easier to understand. When the iron intake is from the animal source like the meat we eat, which contains both haemoglobin and myoglobin, both of them contain heme. Inside the heme, there is iron. This iron which is in heme form is ...