forms over millions of years in the pore spaces of sedimentary rocks from remains of ocean-dwelling phytoplankton; over time it migrates upward toward the highest point in the porous rock because it is less dense than the rock.
Hereditary hemochromatosis (hee-muh-kro-muh-TOE-sus) is a genetic disease that causes the body to absorb and store too much iron. Iron is an important nutrient that our bodies get from food.
The most common form of iron overload in the United States is a genetically determined disorder, the homozygous state for hereditary hemochromatosis, occurring in about 0.26% of the total population, or approximately 1 in 385 persons.