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Iron is an essential element for fundamental cell functions and a catalyst for chemical reactions. Three samples extracted from the human spleen were investigated by scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Mössbauer spectrometry (MS), and SQUID magnetometry. The sample with diagnosis of hemosiderosis (H) differs from that referring to hereditary spherocytosis and the reference sample. SEM reveals iron-rich micrometer-sized aggregate of various structures-tiny fibrils in hereditary spherocytosis sample and no fibrils in hemochromatosis. Hematite and magnetite particles from 2 to 6 μm in TEM with diffraction in all samples were shown. The SQUID magnetometry shows different amount of diamagnetic, paramagnetic and ferrimagnetic structures in the tissues. The MS results indicate contribution of ferromagnetically split sextets for all investigated samples. Their occurrence indicates that at least part of the sample is magnetically ordered below the critical temperature. The iron accumulation process is different in hereditary spherocytosis and hemosiderosis. This fact may be the reason of different iron crystallization.

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Macroscopic quantum tunneling in antiferromagnetic horse-spleen ferritin particles (abstract)Abstract: Mössbauer spectroscopy of iron deposits in thalassemic heart tissue Abstract. This contribution aims in characterization of structural positions of iron in human and horse spleen. 57 Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy was employed as a principal method of investigation in addition to X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). At room temperature, ferritin nanoparticles exhibit superparamagnetic behavior due to their small dimensions. Corresponding Mössbauer spectra show doublet-like patterns. Experiments performed at low temperatures unveiled presence of magnetically split components and enabled to determine the blocking temperature. Dimensions of Fe-containing species were established from detailed analyses of TEM images.