Figure 1

Iron recycling and distribution in the body. Body iron is primarily located in erythrocytes (>70%) which are efficiently recycled by macrophages of the liver and spleen. Enterocytes obtain iron from the diet. Macrophages, which obtain iron from the phagocytosis of senescent RBCs release iron into the circulation where it binds to plasma transferrin, the iron transport protein. Transferrin delivers iron to the erythron of the bone marrow and to other sites like hepatocytes of the liver, the main iron storage site in the body. There is no physiological excretion pathway for iron.