The role of free radical reactions with haemoglobin and thalassaemia

It is well known that all living systems depend on iron to transport (haemo globin), store (myoglobin) and utilize (cytochromes, cytochrome oxide) oxyg en for respiration. Iron is an essential component in the active sites of t he enzyme that protects against oxidation, such as the iron superoxide dism utase, in bacteria and plants. In normal human plasma almost all iron loadi ng of transferrin is 20-30% maximum. In this presentation we review and sum marize recent developments in our understanding of iron transport and stora ge in living systems. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.