Human iron metabolism

Diagram showing a generalized view of cellular iron homeostasis in humans. Iron import can occur via endocytosis of transferrin receptor 1 or via ferrous iron importers DMT1 and ZIP14, which require the activity of iron reductases such as STEAP2, SDR-2 and Dcytb. Intracellular iron can be stored in ferritin and used for protein biosynthesis, or to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and regulate transcription via iron-responsive element-binding proteins (IRP1/2). Export occurs through ferroportin, often aided by hephaestin (Hp) and/or ceruloplasmin (Cp), and repressed by hepcidin.

Human iron metabolism is the set of chemical reactions that maintain human homeostasis of iron at the systemic and cellular level. Iron is both necessary to the body and potentially toxic. Controlling iron levels in the body is a critically important part of many aspects of human health and disease. Hematologists have been especially interested in systemic iron metabolism, because iron is essential for red blood cells, where most of the human body's iron is contained. Understanding iron metabolism is also important for understanding diseases of iron overload, such as hereditary hemochromatosis, and iron deficiency, such as iron-deficiency anemia.


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