Figure 1. Regulation of iron absorption by the intestinal enterocyte. (Reproduced from Andrews, 2004 with permission from Elsevier)

Figure 2. The iron–transferrin cycle. Iron cycling (a) tissue and organ level, (b) at the cellular and intracellular level. (Reproduced from Andrews, 2004 with permission from Elsevier)

Figure 3. Posttranscriptional regulation of tissue iron uptake, utilization and storage by IRE. (Reproduced from Huang and Benz, 2003 with permission from Cambridge University Press)

Figure 4. Possible role of hepcidin in regulating iron absorption. (Reproduced from Andrews, 2004 with permission from Elsevier)

Figure 5. Haem biosynthesis. (Reproduced from Huang and Benz, 2003 with permission from Cambridge University Press)

Figure 6. Pathophysiology of thalassemia. The clinical manifestations of thalassemia are driven in the inclusion bodies found from excess globin chains. Excess globin can in turn result from impaired globin production (o, + thalassemia) and /or excess globin synthesis (/, /, /); conversely, (inheritance of thalassemia) (––/, –/) or increased globin can reduce excess globin.