Most of the Iron That is Removed from Degraded Hemoglobin

Question

Most of the iron that is removed from degraded hemoglobin is
A) excreted by the kidneys.
B) excreted by the liver.
C) excreted by the intestines.
D) recycled to the red bone marrow.
E) stored in yellow bone marrow.

Accepted Answer

Most of the iron that is removed from degraded hemoglobin is recycled back to the red bone marrow for the production of new red blood cells. This process is facilitated by a protein called transferrin, which binds to the iron and transports it to where it's needed. Only a small amount of iron may be excreted through the intestines or kidneys, and it's not stored in yellow bone marrow.