Unit 8 Marzano

A Case of Iron Deficiency

(Summarizing and Note-Taking)

Directions: Go to this website: http://www.sciencecases.org/ida/ida.asp and answer the following questions:

1. Describe the structure of a molecule of hemoglobin and explain the role played by iron in the transport of oxygen.

Hemoglobin is a protein of four polypeptide chains. It is located mostly in the erythrocytes of all vertebrates and it helps to transports most of the blood oxygen. Without enough iron, your body can't produce enough hemoglobin, a substance in RBC's that enables them to carry oxygen.

2. How is iron stored and transported in the body?

Iron is usually stored within the intestinal enterocytes and is transported along the basolateral membrane. The liver is the chief storage site for iron and the key site of iron consumption is the bone marrow for heme synthesis.

3. What is Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) and how frequently does it occur?

IDA means that a person does not have the adequate amount of iron in the body. It occurs in approximately 20% of woman and 3 % of men.

4. What are the most common causes of IDA?

The most common causes include not even iron in a diet, poor absorption of iron by the body, or even blood loss. The amount of red blood cells in the blood can drastically drop due to this.

5. Why are women more prone to IDA than men?

Women have a lower supply of iron than men on average and they more often lose more blood due to the menstrual process.

6. What are the red blood cell indices, and what tests are diagnostic for IDA?

The red blood cell indices are mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration. IDA patients will show low levels of MCV and MCHC when their blood is tested.

7. How is IDA treated and prevented?

IDA can be prevented if iron is increased in a diet. Some iron rich foods include red meat, liver, raisins, spinach, broccoli, and egg...