Hematology 2

• 70% Hb
• 4% Myoglobin
• 1% enzymes
• 25% stored

Iron storage

17mg / day so that 1.7mg absorbed

Most iron in food is in ferric form. Needs to be reduced by gastric juice to ferrous form to be absorbed.

Less gastric juice so less absorption. Will need iron supplements.

Absorbed in the intestinal wall, carried by protein apoferratin, then carried by transferrin in blood to bone marrow.

• Apoferratin absorbs iron in intestinal wall.
• Transferrin takes iron to marrow.

large protein that can carry 4500 ferrous ions

Iron accumulates -> Sideroblasts -> Siderocytes