As described in this volume, our knowledge of mammalian iron metabolism has advanced
dramatically over the past decade. While basic physiological concepts were described
through elegant experiments in the 1950s and 1960s, many molecular details remained
unknown. Modern techniques in genetics, biochemistry and molecular biology have allowed
for the identification and characterization of most, but probably not all, of the key molecules
that move iron into, out of, and between cells. Insight into the complex regulation of these …