Control of Iron Absorption by the Intestinal Epithelial Cell

The control of absorption of iron by the small intestinal mucosa is briefly reviewed. A hypothetical model for the control of iron absorption is presented. A pathway involving a carrier substance and an enzyme ("iron transferase"), necessary for the movement of iron from the mucosal cell to the plasma and tissues, is postulated to explain some of the features of inorganic iron absorption from low doses. The relationship of heme iron absorption and inorganic iron absorption is also considered.