Iron Metabolism in the Central Nervous System

Neurons require iron for many aspects of their physiology however, the mechanisms of iron uptake by neurons have not been completely understood. Unlike Tf found in blood, Tf in the brain is fully saturated with iron. 

Although the brain has several characteristics that make it unique for utilizing iron (such as, it resides behind a vascular barrier the blood-brain barrier, BBB which limits its access to plasma iron), there are several elues indieating a deleterious role of iron in there is higher accumulation of iron in 

Microglias, the resident immune cells in the brain, play an important role of immune surveillance under normal conditions and are critically involved in neurodegenerative diseases. These cells turn over rapidly as they scavenge dying 

6 Examples of Nuclear Analytical Techniques in Iron Metabolism Studies 

Iron (Fe) is an essential traee element in the human body. As a transition metal, Fe has the eapaeity to aeeept and donate eleetrons readily, interconverting between ferric (Fe ) and ferrous (Fe ) forms. Most iron present in living organisms is tightly combined with proteins although some may be present as low molecular weight complexes in soluble pools. Thus, the analysis of iron in biological environments should incorporate both bulk analysis and speciation studies. 

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