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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Oct 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Pediatr. 2015 Oct;167(0):S15–S19. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2015.07.015

Figure 1. Mechanisms that regulate iron homeostasis under normal conditions.

Figure 1

Iron recycled from RBCs (Red Blood Cells) or absorbed from the diet is transported by Nramp2 (Natural resistance-associated macrophage protein-2) and FPN (Ferroportin) into the blood, where it circulates bound to transferrin. Circulating levels of iron are regulated by controlling the amount of FPN expressed on the plasma membrane, a function that is carried out by the peptide hormone hepcidin, which is secreted by the liver in response to changes in iron status and iron requirements.