The Iron Cycle Video

Video at a Glance

• Red blood cells are smooth with a biconcave disc shape with very few proteins bound to them.
• The biconcave disc shape allows for more surface area.
• A mature red blood cell has no nucleus, mitochondria, or organelles.
• Red blood cells are packed with hemoglobin, which contains around 95% of the proteins in the cell.
• Hemoglobin carries 97% of the body’s oxygen, 23% of its carbon dioxide, and generally acts as a buffer because it is a weak acid.
• The body’s iron cycle originates in the spleen, where there are small spaces between the arterial and venous circulation called the red pulp.
• Red pulp breaks down hemoglobin into iron and bilirubin.
• Iron is a cytotoxic chemical, so blood won’t allow it to flow freely through the body. Instead, it’s bound to transferrin, a protein carrier.
• Iron and transferrin are transported to the red pulp, liver, and bone marrow.
• When iron is stored in the pulp or liver, it bounds to ferritin, a protein receptor for long-term storage, while the iron is transformed into erythrocytes in the bone marrow.