29 Facts About Iron

1.

Iron is a chemical element with symbol Fe and atomic number 26.

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2.

Iron is the metal at the active site of many important redox enzymes dealing with cellular respiration and oxidation and reduction in plants and animals.

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3.

Iron is the sixth most abundant element in the universe, and the most common refractory element.

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4.

Iron is sometimes considered as a prototype for the entire block of transition metals, due to its abundance and the immense role it has played in the technological progress of humanity.

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5.

Iron is a common intermediate in many biochemical oxidation reactions.

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6.

Iron is the first of the transition metals that cannot reach its group oxidation state of +8, although its heavier congeners ruthenium and osmium can, with ruthenium having more difficulty than osmium.

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7.

Iron is by far the most reactive element in its group; it is pyrophoric when finely divided and dissolves easily in dilute acids, giving Fe.

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8.

Iron oxide exists, though it is unstable at room temperature.

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9.

Iron reacts with fluorine, chlorine, and bromine to give the corresponding ferric halides, ferric chloride being the most common.

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10.

Iron complexes are quite similar to those of chromium with the exception of iron's preference for O-donor instead of N-donor ligands.

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11.

Iron compounds tend to be oxidized to iron compounds in the air.

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12.

Iron is one of the elements undoubtedly known to the ancient world.

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13.

Iron plays a certain role in mythology and has found various usage as a metaphor and in folklore.

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14.

The Iron Age was closely related with Rome, and in Ovid's Metamorphoses.

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15.

Iron ore is then treated with these gases in a furnace, producing solid sponge iron:.

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16.

Iron catalysts are traditionally used in the Haber–Bosch process for the production of ammonia and the Fischer–Tropsch process for conversion of carbon monoxide to hydrocarbons for fuels and lubricants.

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17.

Iron based catalysts play a crucial role in converting biobased raw materials into valuable bulk- and fine chemicals, in fuel cells as well as in removal of hazardous chemicals.

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18.

Iron chloride finds use in water purification and sewage treatment, in the dyeing of cloth, as a coloring agent in paints, as an additive in animal feed, and as an etchant for copper in the manufacture of printed circuit boards.

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19.

Iron sulfate is used as a precursor to other iron compounds.

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20.

Iron sulfate is used in settling minute sewage particles in tank water.

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21.

Iron-containing proteins participate in transport, storage and used of oxygen.

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22.

Iron acquisition poses a problem for aerobic organisms because ferric iron is poorly soluble near neutral pH.

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23.

Iron is pervasive, but particularly rich sources of dietary iron include red meat, oysters, lentils, beans, poultry, fish, leaf vegetables, watercress, tofu, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, and blackstrap molasses.

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24.

Iron is most available to the body when chelated to amino acids and is available for use as a common iron supplement.

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25.

Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world.

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26.

Iron uptake is tightly regulated by the human body, which has no regulated physiological means of excreting iron.

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27.

Iron plays an essential role in marine systems and can act as a limiting nutrient for planktonic activity.

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28.

Iron can be oxidized by marine microbes under conditions that are high in iron and low in oxygen.

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29.

Iron can enter marine systems through adjoining rivers and directly from the atmosphere.

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