ferritin

American  

[fer-i-tn] / ˈfɛr ɪ tn /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. an amber-colored, crystalline protein, found in the liver, spleen, and bone marrow, that consists of apoferritin combined with a ferric hydroxide-ferric phosphate complex and that stores iron for use in metabolism.

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ferritin British  

/ ˈfɛrɪtɪn /

noun

1. biochem a protein that contains iron and plays a part in the storage of iron in the body. It occurs in the liver and spleen

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Etymology

Origin of ferritin

First recorded in 1935–40; ferrite + -in ²

Example Sentences

While Rose's first doctor initially dismissed her ferritin levels as, in her words, "not being that low", she managed to see another doctor who eventually gave her a diagnosis - iron deficiency.

From BBC • Dec. 11, 2025

In contrast, a vaccine based on a scaffold protein called ferritin, coated with SARS-CoV-2 antigens, generated many antibodies against ferritin as well as SARS-CoV-2.

From Science Daily • Jan. 30, 2024

And unlike iron, which is easily assessed by measuring levels of iron-containing blood proteins like hemoglobin and ferritin, there is no biomarker that can be used as an indicator of zinc levels.

From Washington Post • Jan. 14, 2022

In the current context, we believe we have a biomarker of this condition, a serum level of a non-specific but is an acute phase reactant called serum ferritin.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2020

Once inside mucosal cells, ionic iron binds to the protein ferritin, creating iron-ferritin complexes that store iron until needed.

From Textbooks • Jun. 19, 2013