Question

The storage forms of iron in liver and spleen in animals are ____.

• A. ferrous gluconate
• B. hemoglobin
• C. ferritin and haemosiderin
• D. methemoglobin and hemicromes

Hint:

Ferritin = Soluble and active storage.
Hemosiderin = Insoluble and long-term/excess storage.
Measuring plasma ferritin is the most common clinical way to check for iron deficiency.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question focuses on animal biochemistry, specifically identifying the molecules used by the body to safely store iron in organs like the liver and spleen.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:

• Need for Iron Storage: Free iron is toxic to cells because it can generate free radicals. Therefore, organisms use specialized proteins to sequester and store iron.

• Ferritin: This is the primary intracellular iron-storage protein. It forms a hollow shell that can store up to $4500$ iron atoms in a non-toxic, bioavailable form. It is the "ready-to-use" reserve.

• Haemosiderin (or Hemosiderin): When the body has an excess of iron, ferritin molecules aggregate and partially degrade to form hemosiderin. It is an insoluble complex. Iron stored in hemosiderin is less readily available for metabolic needs compared to ferritin.

• Other Options: Hemoglobin (B) is the functional form of iron for oxygen transport, not a storage form. Ferrous gluconate (A) is a synthetic iron supplement. Methemoglobin (D) is an oxidized, non-functional form of hemoglobin.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Iron is stored in the liver and spleen as ferritin and haemosiderin.