Hemoglobin and Iron Absorption



1. Hemoglobin :

 It is a conjugated protein (heme + globulin). Heme is prosthetic group (non- protein group) and globin is protein part. The globins consist of 4 polypeptide chains of different primary structures.α and β chain synthesis is controlled by loci on chromosome 11 and 16 respectively

Normal Range : 14-16 gm/dl in males & 12 - 15 gm/dl in females




2. Iron Absorption :

  • only 10 % of the iron intake is absorbed
  • iron is absorbed in ferrous form in upper jejunum
  • Iron is transported in blood in combination with transferrin
  • Ferritin Level in blood and hemosiderin in bone marrow are indicative of iron status.

  •  A liter of normal blood is capable of carrying 200 ml of oxygen . 1.0gm of Hb combines with 1.34 ml of oxygen .Oxidation converts heme into hematin. Each Hb molecule contains 3.4 mg of iron. Its molecular weight is 68000 daltons.