ABSTRACT
Iron is an essential element and its best-known function, accounting for about two-thirds of the iron in the body, is a component of the haemoglobin molecules which transport oxygen. Iron is also essential for mitochondria, with a key role in the electron transfer reactions which generate ATP during aerobic metabolism. The brain is the most metabolically active organ in the body, so its internal concentration of iron is exceptionally high and comparable to other active tissues such as the liver. Iron concentrations in several structures, including the globus pallidus, caudate nucleus, putamen, and substantia nigra, increase rapidly during development, reaching a plateau after the rst decade (Höck et al. 1975). In addition to metabolism, iron is essential for brain-specic functions, which include the synthesis of fatty acids required for myelination and synthesis of neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine adrenalin, and noradrenalin). Iron is also found in cytochrome P450, which detoxies a range of natural and xenobiotic compounds. Because of this role in a diverse spectrum of cellular functions, iron is indispensable for normal neural development and physiology.
