Hi,Since ferritin stores iron as Fe 2+ (which is toxic to cells), how does it release the iron without causing cell death? Thank you!
Ferritin has the shape of a hollow sphere. Inside the sphere, iron is stored in the Fe(III) oxidation state. It is incorporated in the mineral ferrihydrite, [FeO(OH)]8[FeO(H2PO4)], which is attached to the inner wall of the sphere. To release iron when the body needs it, the iron must be changed from the Fe(III) to the Fe(II) oxidation state. Then, the iron leaves through channels in the spherical structure. Thus, the structure of ferritin is extremely important for the protein's ability to store and release iron in a controlled fashion. These are not my own words, but being great at researching, I found you this article on ferritin! I have actually never studied ferritin, so this helped me out too.
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