Define Uptake of iron by enterocytes - Non Haem Iron Absorption?

Ferrous iron traverses the brush border of the intestine better than the ferric iron. The mechanism of absorption of the latter is not clear but it is postulated that it binds to lurninal binding proteins. Mucin, a small protein made in the intestinal cells and released into the gastrointestinal tract, is thought to facilitate iron absorption. It binds multiple Fe³⁺ ions at an acidic pH and maintains its solubility even in alkaline pH and thus aids in its absorption. After traversing the brush border, iron binds to the receptor on the luminal surface of enterocyte and is transported inside the cell.