Human iron metabolism

Iron is a really important substance in our bodies that helps us do lots of things. We get iron from foods like red meat, eggs, and leafy greens.

Once we eat the iron, our body tries to use it in different ways. Some of it goes into a substance called hemoglobin, which is in our red blood cells. Hemoglobin helps carry oxygen from our lungs to the rest of our body.

When we have too much iron in our body, it can hurt us. That's why our body has special ways to get rid of extra iron. One way is by storing it in our liver, like putting toys away in a toy chest. Then, if we need more iron later, our body can take it out of the liver and use it.

But sometimes, our body doesn't get enough iron. This can happen if we don't eat enough iron-rich foods, or if our body has trouble absorbing iron from our food. When this happens, our body might not make enough hemoglobin, which can make us feel tired and weak.

Overall, iron is really important for our body to work properly. We need to make sure we eat enough iron-rich foods, but not too much!