Iron

Iron is an essential nutrient. It is needed in small quantities to help form normal red blood cells (RBCs). Iron is a critical part of haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that binds oxygen in the lungs and releases it as blood travels to other parts of the body

Iron is the amount of serum iron bound to transferrin and represents ~⅓ of the total iron binding capacity of transferrin. By itself, is a relatively poor marker of iron status. May be elevated due to hemochromatosis and other genetic conditions, haemolytic anaemia, liver damage, Vit B6 deficiency. May be decreased due to poor iron intake, poor absorption, chronic blood loss, chronic disease or infection, progesterone birth control pills.