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Questions and Answers
What is the approximate percentage of heme iron that is absorbable from the daily Western diet?
What is the approximate percentage of heme iron that is absorbable from the daily Western diet?
What is the approximate total body iron content in women?
What is the approximate total body iron content in women?
Which of the following enzymes contains iron?
Which of the following enzymes contains iron?
What is the primary function of transferrin?
What is the primary function of transferrin?
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Which population group is more likely to develop iron deficiency due to excessive losses?
Which population group is more likely to develop iron deficiency due to excessive losses?
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What is the approximate percentage of nonheme iron that is absorbable from the daily Western diet?
What is the approximate percentage of nonheme iron that is absorbable from the daily Western diet?
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What is the primary site of iron storage?
What is the primary site of iron storage?
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What is the approximate percentage of total body iron found in hemoglobin?
What is the approximate percentage of total body iron found in hemoglobin?
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What is the primary reason for iron deficiency in healthy young females?
What is the primary reason for iron deficiency in healthy young females?
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What is the name of the protein that stores iron in the body?
What is the name of the protein that stores iron in the body?
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Study Notes
Iron Deficiency Anemia
- Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional disorder worldwide, leading to clinical signs and symptoms related to inadequate hemoglobin synthesis.
- It is more prevalent in developing countries, but also common in the United States, particularly among toddlers, adolescent girls, and women of childbearing age.
Iron Metabolism
- The average Western diet contains 10-20 mg of iron daily, mostly in the form of heme in animal products and inorganic iron in vegetables.
- About 20% of heme iron is absorbable, while only 1-2% of nonheme iron is absorbable.
- The average Western diet provides sufficient iron to balance fixed daily losses.
Total Body Iron Content
- The total body iron content is approximately 2.5 gm in women and up to 6 gm in men.
- Iron is divided into functional and storage compartments.
- About 80% of functional iron is found in hemoglobin, with the rest in myoglobin, iron-containing enzymes, and other proteins.
- The storage pool, comprising hemosiderin and ferritin, contains about 15-20% of total body iron.
Iron Storage Sites
- The liver and mononuclear phagocytes are the major sites of iron storage.
- Healthy young females have smaller iron stores due to blood loss during menstruation, making them more prone to iron deficiency.
Iron Recycling and Transport
- Iron is recycled between functional and storage pools.
- Transferrin, a liver-synthesized iron-binding glycoprotein, transports iron in plasma.
- Transferrin is about one-third saturated with iron, yielding average serum iron levels of 120 µg/dL in men and 100 µg/dL in women.
- The primary function of plasma transferrin is to deliver iron to cells, including erythroid precursors, for hemoglobin synthesis.
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Description
This quiz covers the causes, symptoms, and effects of iron deficiency anemia, a common nutritional disorder worldwide. Learn about the populations most affected and the underlying factors.
