Saherwala 1

Abdeali.Saherwala
SBI4U
Mr.Jonade
6/5/2015
Homeostasis- Iron deficiency leading to deteriorating myelin sheath
An article published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that
level of iron in the brain determines a persons brain integrity
and function. Iron is an integral mineral needed in the brain
because iron aids in sending the electrical impulses across the
axon of a neuron in an astonishing speed. George

Figure 1: Neurons densely packed in the brain

Bartzokis, a researcher of the University of California states, [The researchers] make a very
interesting connection between the issue of iron metabolism and the integrity of white matter,
more specifically myelin (Jahanshada, Kohannima , Hibara & Steina, 2011). I have learned that
the myelin sheath is a cellular sheath that enwraps and insulates neuronal axons, thus increasing
the speed of the neural impulses that travel from the axon hillock to the axon terminal. Myelin
sheath is created from an enormous amount of iron and if myelin sheath is not properly
strengthened by iron consumption, than the electrical impulses will not be sent at a proper speed
through the axon. Iron is a good electrical conductor and appropriate levels of iron cause the
nervous system to function properly. But sometimes, humans do not consume enough iron in
their diet or dont possess hormones that aid in the absorption of iron, thus causing several issues
with their nervous system. An average human needs about eight milligrams of iron on a daily
basis in order to ensure proper health. Also, infants, toddlers and young children require a higher
amount of iron on a daily basis due to their rapidly developing brain. If a person does not fulfill

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the iron requirement in his/her diet, than that person is iron deficient, thus causing several issues
such as fatigue or slow performance in school. Paul Thompson in UCLA states, that even
among normal healthy kids, variations in their iron levels that are fairly subtle end up mattering.
And the surprise is, they matter a lot (Jahanshada et al., 2011). Non homeostatic amounts of
iron causes the nerve impulses to slow down, thus causing students to not focus or pay attention
to their school work. I have also leant that impulses in the brain become slower due to iron
deficiency causing neural messages to be sent in a sluggish manner, thus causing students to
become sluggish or inattentive. Also, if electrical impulses do not travel across the axon in a
timely manner, it can lead to memory loss, inability to remember names and slowness in solving
problems. In the article it states, children that are iron deficient,
often as a result of poor diet score poorly in mathematics and
language tests ( Jahanshada et al., 2011). The research team
measured levels of iron in the blood by measuring the serum
transferrins levels. Transferrins are iron-binding blood plasma

Figure 2: Transferrin glycoprotein

glycoproteins that control the level of free iron in biological fluids and transferrin is encoded by
the TF gene in the human genome. Serum transferrin is an inverse, but a reliable method of
measuring available iron in adolescents by testing urine or sperm samples. Also, the team
performed brain scans when these teens reached their early twenties in order to attain a better
impression of the effects of iron on the brain. The research team looked at myelin function using
a technique called diffusion tensor imaging, and found a strong positive correlation between teen
iron levels and myelin integrity in the twenty-something subjects. With further investigation,
researchers discovered two iron homeostasis genes revealed in a polymorphism in one HFE
(human hemochromatosis protein), which regulates cellular absorption of transferrin-bound iron

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that was associated with high iron levels and improved white matter integrity. Of course having
this polymorphism in a HFE does not automatically create better myelin integrity nor has
electrical impulses being sent at a normal rate. The current
study has not properly concluded a link between iron
deficiency and white matter integrity; but I believe that a
strong correlation does exists with iron being a key player in
white matter integrity because myelin sheath is mostly

Figure 3: Brain created with Iron.

composed of iron. Also, I believe that it is a persons responsibility to consume an appropriate

amount of iron in their diet in order to maintain their myelin sheath integrity. Overall, an
homeostatic consumption of iron is an integral part of the nervous system because it allows the
electrical impulses to be sent at an appropriate speed throughout the neuron, thus causing the
brain to perform in its most efficient and effective state.

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Bibliography
Jahanshad, N., Kohannim, O., & Hibar, D. (2012, January 12). Brain structure in healthy adults
is related to serum transferrin and the H63D polymorphism in the HFE gene. Retrieved
June 5, 2015, from http://www.pnas.org/content/109/14/E851
Additional resources
Stoppler, M. (2014, March 14). Iron Deficiency: Learn About Causes and Symptoms. Retrieved
June 5, 2015, from http://www.medicinenet.com/iron_and_iron_deficiency/article.htm
Watson, S. (2014, January 10). Iron: What You Need to Know. Retrieved June 5, 2015, from
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/lifestyle-guide-11/iron-supplements