We all know we need iron to live. How else would our blood carry
oxygen to our lungs? And cells need iron in order to multiply.
The problem is that our cells aren’t the only ones who need iron
in order to thrive. Cancer cells and microorganisms like E. Coli
and staph need iron too. The good news is that our bodies have
several mechanisms for preventing dangerous invaders from
getting the iron they need. The goal here is to starve these
invaders and contain them. First, the level of iron in our blood
plasma drops down dramatically, and our bodies reduce the amount
of iron we absorb from our diet to a bare minimum until the
danger is over. In addition, our white blood cells contain a
protein that scavenges for loose iron atoms so that the invaders
don’t get them first. Finally, to seal the deal, our immune
system forms antibodies to the protein receptors the invaders
use to acquire iron. The next time the same organism invades,
these antibodies will block it from getting the iron it needs.
No wonder having too