Overview of iron metabolism

Regulation of iron balance is of particular interest, especially iron absorption, cellular iron metabolism and transferrin-transferrin receptor in hematopoiesis. Recent advances in molecular and cell biology have helped to reveal the mysteries of cellular iron metabolism concerning mRNA encoding ferritin and transferrin receptor synthesis. The physiology of transferrin and transferrin receptor is applied in the evaluation of erythropoiesis, i.e., erythron transferrin uptake in ferrokinetics and measurement of serum transferrin receptor. In iron absorption, much of the key mechanism remains unknown. The importance of iron metabolism in human beings is discussed in traditional areas of iron deficiency and nutrition. Iron overload is a new clinical problem to be solved in hemochromatosis or in relation to ischemic heart disease.