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.

Department of Chemistry FPV University of SS Cyril and Methodius Trnava Slovakia

Department of Geology of Mineral Deposits Faculty of Natural Science Comenius University Bratislava Slovakia

Department of Medical Physics Biophysics Informatics and Telemedicine Faculty of Medicine Comenius University Bratislava Slovakia

Department of Pathology Faculty of Medicine Comenius University Bratislava Slovakia

Institute of Histology and Embryology Comenius University Bratislava Slovakia

Institute of Inorganic Chemistry v v i AV CR Husinec Rez Czech Republic

Institute of Nuclear and Physical Engineering Slovak University of Technology Bratislava Slovakia

Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials Palacky University Olomouc Czech Republic

STU Center for Nanodiagnosis Slovak University of Technology Bratislava Slovakia

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