This free course, Iron transport and storage, looks at the methods that have been developed by organisms for the uptake, transport and storage of iron: a process made more complicated by the insolubility of its oxides and hydroxides. You will examine iron storage in mammals, including humans,. This is achieved by ferritin which stores iron as a hydrated iron (III) oxide an example of biomineralisation.

After studying this course, you should be able to:

• describe some of the biochemical methods by which organisms uptake iron
• describe some of the biochemical processes by which organisms store and transfer iron
• explain why iron is present only in very low concentrations in aqueous solution
• use aspects of iron(III) chemistry to explain the role of macrocyclic ligands in iron uptake and transfer.