Iron deficiency anemia is a condition that detrimentally affects an individual, as it reduces productivity, can be life threatening if untreated and paired with chronic bleeding, and has a plethora of effects that can cause difficulties with operating in day to day life. The condition causes a deficit of erythrocytes, oxygen transport, and generally healthy blood flow, as the organs of the human body start to lack the oxygen necessary for efficient function. Iron deficiency anemia can be treated with iron supplements along with other minerals like magnesium, the incorporation of a heavily iron rich diet, and the stemming of the excessive blood flow that caused the issue in the first place. Below are two diagrams showing the difference in an anemic and regular blood smear, and as the reader will notice, the anemic sample has a noticeable lack of erythrocytes and white blood cells. The cells also begin to lack as much coloration as normal cells, as the hemoglobin carries much less iron, which partially causes pigmentation.

One Comment

  1. I enjoy learning about Iron deficiencies due to having the condition and being greatly affected by it during my pregnancy. I do however wish you went into more detail about what could cause the Iron Deficiencies and how it effects the body such as signs and symptoms. I also think you could have described more about how iron is tied to the erythrocyte decrease. I also did not know that white blood cells also decrease during Iron deficiency anemia. Being iron deficient can make living day to day life harder due to the extreme fatigue and weakness. It is also said that if someone is iron deficient, they will crave unusual things like ice, dirt, or even starches.
    Fatigue is a common symptom due to the lack of iron in the blood stream to make hemoglobin. A decrease in the protein hemoglobin will decrease the amount of oxygen that is carried to the other tissues causing muscular atrophy. I do like how you pointed out that the lack of iron causes the lack in pigmentation. I think this is important since so many people think that blood that is oxygen rich is red and blood that is oxygen poor is blue when in all actuality all blood is red. Arteries do have a darker red however due to the increased amount of iron in the hemoglobin.
    Internal bleeding can be the cause of iron deficiency. This is because the body I rapidly losing blood but can go without notice for an hour depending on the amount of blood lost and the time it takes to lose it.

    Jordin Petro

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