ABSTRACT
Iron homeostasis is mainly controlled by the absorption of iron from the diet. When iron levels in the body are low, the rate of iron absorption is increased, and when iron levels are replete there is a reduction in the rate of iron absorption and excess iron is excreted when enterocytes are sloughed off every 2-3 days. The epithelial cell layer of the duodenum is responsible for sensing changes in body iron demands and then adapting to meet them. Within the crypts of the intestine are multipotent precursor cells, which only act as sensors of
body iron needs, but upon differentiation into enterocytes, they are capable of transporting iron (1,2).
