Also, severe shortages or selfprescribed minerals can alter the delicate balance in body functions that promotes health. Iron is a mineral that our bodies need for many functions. Hemoglobin represents about twothirds of the body s iron. An overview sarika arora and raj kumar kapoor department of biochemistry, esi postgr aduate institute of medical sciences, basaidarapur, new delhi, india 1. Fluoride info function, deficiency, and recommended. It is vital for both physical health and mental wellbeing. Most people should be able to get all the iron they need through their diet, although in certain cases, supplementary iron may be necessary. Role of iron in human health university of pittsburgh. Iron is a mineral that the body needs for growth and development. For example, iron is part of hemoglobin, a protein which carries oxygen from our lungs throughout our bodies.
Iron deficiency anemia can be treated with iron supplements, and by adopting strategies to improve the body s absorption of the iron in the supplements e. Iron also can be damaging when it accumulates in the body. It aids the growth of hair and helps counteract fatigue. About 70 percent of your bodys iron is found in the red blood cells of your blood called hemoglobin and in muscle cells called myoglobin.
Pdf calcium and its role in human body researchgate. Iron performs many important functions in the body. Iron is a mineral vital to the proper function of hemoglobin, a protein needed to transport oxygen in the blood. Iron is both necessary to the body and potentially toxic. Inadequate iron in the diet, impaired absorption of iron, and excessive bleeding are all examples of conditions that can lead to. It is found in all living organisms, and while it is perhaps best known for its role in hemoglobin formation, iron plays extremely important roles in numerous other biological processes. Iron is important for many functions in the body, especially for the transport of oxygen in the blood. Why do we need iron iron is a mineral found in every cell in the body. It is also possible to have too much iron deposited in the body tissues. Iron is a chemical element that is silverwhite in pure form, but rusts easily. However, iron also plays a role in metabolism as a component of some proteins and enzymes.
This is a critical function of iron as oxygen is required by each and every body part to perform routine body functions. Micronutrients are one of the major groups of nutrients and vital for human health. Iron is important in making red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body. The importance of mineral elements for humans, domestic. It is primarily involved in the transfer of oxygen from the lungs to tissues. Introduction iron is the most abundant element on earth, yet only trace elements are present in living cells. One of the most important health benefits of iron is that it acts as a carrier of oxygen and helps transfer oxygen from one body cell to another. Iron is a vital trace mineral whose main role is in making and maintaining healthy red blood cells, and promoting the transfer oxygen around the body. Iron why we need it, how it affects our body and natural. Iron is an important component of hemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to transport it throughout your body. Over 70% of iron in the body is present in the bloodstream in the form of rbcs. Phosphorus is indispensable for all active tissues. This type of iron is found in plantbased foods like cereals, vegetables and legumes.
In a healthy body, when the stores of iron are sufficient, the intestines reduce the absorption of this mineral from food. Hemoglobin develops in cells in the bone marrow that become red blood cells. Blood is made up of multiple components, including red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma. This article gives an overview of micronutrients, their functions and the. Your body uses iron to make hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body, and myoglobin, a protein that provides oxygen to muscles. If you dont have enough iron, your body cant make enough healthy oxygencarrying red blood cells. Haemoglobin s primary role is to transport oxygen from the lungs to body tissues to maintain basic life functions. In fact, iron is a problem nutrient for millions of people. About 70 percent of your bodys iron is found in the red blood cells of your blood. If you do not have enough iron, your body cannot make hemoglobin, and you may get anemia, a health problem that occurs when there is not enough hemoglobin in the blood. A deficiency of iron can result from a number of different causes. The human body needs iron to make the oxygencarrying proteins hemoglobin and myoglobin.
Iron is an essential nutrient that is vital to the processes by which cells generate energy. Fluoride is best known for its role in preventing tooth decay. The iron deposition associated with chronic alcoholism, however, is typically limited to the liver and not seen extensively in other organs. Role of iron in human health arun malik and hariom yadav national agrifood biotechnology institute, mohali, punjab, india email. Iron is required for maintaining immunity, metabolism, and brain function. The excess iron affects organ function, presumably by direct toxic effect. However, because it is present in the diet in much larger quantities than is haem iron, it is an important source of this mineral. In this article we will discuss about the metabolism of iron in human body with the help of suitable diagram. One of the most important functions of iron is in heme synthesis, which forms haemoglobin, a protein found in red blood cells. Iron helps form and oxygenate our blood cells and haemoglobin. If your child does not get enough iron, your child may develop anemia.
Hemoglobin and functions of iron patient education. Adults with normal intestinal function have very little risk of iron overload from dietary sources of iron. Iron dextran is used to treat iron deficiencies and iron deficiency anemia low red blood cells. Recall that iron is the central atom of the heme group, a metal complex that binds molecular oxygen o2 in the lungs and carries it to all of the other cells in the body that need oxygen to perform their. Hemoglobin and functions of iron iron is an essential element for blood production. Human iron metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that maintain human homeostasis of iron at the systemic and cellular level. This week in the nutrition class im teaching we are covering the basics of the importance of iron metabolism and function in the body so i thought for this wellness wednesday i would share it with you all. Once iron is absorbed, there is no physiologic mechanism for excretion of excess iron from the body other than blood loss, that is, pregnancy, menstruation, or. Learn more about the importance of iron in the body and how spatone liquid iron food supplement can provide your body s daily iron. Iron is well known to play an important role in a variety of physiological processes in the human body, such as oxygen metabolism, muscle contraction, synthesis of dna and rna, nerve conduction, proton transfer, enzyme synthesis, and regulation of acidbase balance and osmotic pressure in cells 1. It serves as a carrier of oxygen to the tissues from the lungs by red blood cell haemoglobin, as a transport medium for electrons within cells, and as an integrated part of important enzyme systems in various tissues. Iron dextran may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
It is one of the parts of hemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that helps blood carry oxygen throughout the body. Introduction iron is the most abundant element on earth, yet only trace elements are. This article contains a list of iron s principle functions in the human body, and ends with a guide to our recommended daily. The total amount of blood in humans varies with age, sex, weight, body type, and other factors, but a rough average figure for adults is about 60 millilitres per kilogram of body. Your body doesnt produce these vitamins and minerals on its own, and while you can get most of these from a supplement, your body reacts better when these vitamins and minerals come from food. Essential for blood production, energy, and cognitive function, the role of iron in our bodies is an important but complex component. Excessive iron stores exceed the body s capacity to chelate iron, and free iron accumulates. Having enough iron in the body can help prevent iron deficiency. Iron is bound and transported in the body via transferrin and stored in ferritin molecules. In contrast to haem iron, our body doesnt absorb nonhaem iron as easily.
Iron is found in meats, eggs, dark green leafy vegetables, legumes, whole grains and enriched food products. A lack of iron can lead to iron deficiency anaemia. Metabolism of iron in human body with diagram biology. Iron is also part of many other proteins and enzymes. Part of a molecule hemoglobin found in red blood cells that carries oxygen in the body. Iron also has a role in a variety of other important processes in the body. Iron helps produce red blood cells, which help transport oxygen to different parts of the body, and is involved in energy metabolism.
While fluoride does help overall bone strength, the effects of fluoride are most visible when it. Role of iron in human health arun malik national agrifood biotechnology institute, mohali, punjab, india email. Controlling iron levels in the body is a critically important part of many aspects of human health and disease. Phosphorus is essential for the proper utilization of not only calcium but also other minerals like iron, magnesium, potassium, and sodium. Iron is needed for the formation of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen from the lungs to the body cells. A revolution occurred during the last decade in the comprehension of the physiology as well as in the physiopathology of iron metabolism. A person with iron overload disorder may experience tiredness and fatigue. Fluoride is derived from the chemical element fluorine, and works to prevent bone weakening and promote new bone growth. Iron administered parentally increases hemoglobin levels to a greater extent and is associated with fewer side effects than oral iron supplementation in patients with anemia of chronic disease. The knowledge of the biochemistry of the mineral elements is also. Most of the iron in the body is present in the erythrocytes as haemoglobin, a molecule composed of four units.
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