Facts about Iron (the element)
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Ferritin, a protein storing iron in liver and spleen cells, can accumulate up to 4,500 iron atoms per molecule, serving as the body's primary iron reserve.
- 10
Magnetite, an iron oxide mineral, was used by ancient Chinese navigators around 1000 CE to create the first magnetic compasses, revolutionizing maritime exploration.
- 09
Iron meteorites composed of 90 percent iron and 10 percent nickel have fallen to Earth for billions of years, with the Allende meteorite from 1969 providing crucial evidence about our solar system's formation.
- 08
Steel, an iron alloy containing 0.1 to 2 percent carbon, became mass-produced after Henry Bessemer's 1856 converter invention, revolutionizing construction and manufacturing.
- 07
Approximately 1.6 to 2 milligrams of dietary iron must be consumed daily by adult humans to replace losses through skin shedding, menstruation, and gastrointestinal bleeding.
- 06
At 770 Kelvin, iron undergoes a magnetic phase transition called the Curie point, above which it loses its permanent ferromagnetic properties.
- 05
Ancient Egyptians mined iron from meteorites over 5,000 years ago, crafting beads and tools before discovering terrestrial iron smelting around 1200 BCE.
- 04
Hemoglobin's iron-containing heme group can bind oxygen molecules reversibly, enabling human blood to transport approximately 270 grams of oxygen throughout the body daily.
- 03
Iron's ability to rust through oxidation costs the global economy approximately 2.2 trillion dollars annually in corrosion-related damage and maintenance.
- 02
Molten iron at Earth's core reaches approximately 9,200 Kelvin, rivaling the surface temperature of our Sun at 5,778 Kelvin.
- 01
The human body contains approximately 4 grams of iron, with about 70 percent located in hemoglobin within red blood cells.