Define Function of the Iron Uptake by Cells?
Iron has several vital functions in the body. 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. The general classification of the reactions in which iron is involved includes:
- Oxygen transport and storage
- Electron transfer
- Substrate oxidation- reduction
Several iron-containing enzymes, the cytochromes, have one haem group and one globin protein chain. These enzymes act as electron carriers within the cell and their structures do not permit reversible loading and unloading of oxygen. Their role in the oxidative metabolism is to transfer energy within the cell and specifically in the mitochondria. Other key functions for tlle iron-containing enzymes (e.g. cytochrome P450) include the synthesis of steroid hormones and bile acids; detoxification of foreign substances in the liver; and signal controlling in some neurotransmitters, such as the dopamine and serotonin systems in the brain. As a component of cytochromes and other enzymes of electron transport chain, it is critical for conversion of food into ATP. Iron-containing molecules ensure that macromolecules like carbohydrates and fats are oxidized to provide the energy necessary for all physiological processes and movements. Iron is a component of many other tissue enzymes required for immune system functioning. Non-haem iron proteins, as we know, are responsible for a wide range of functions such as enzymes methane mono-oxygenase (oxidizes methane to methanol) and ribonucleotide reductase (reduces ribose to deoxyribose; DNA biosynthesis).