# Iron in blood can it be done

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-in-blood-can-it-be-done/205292>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 3, 2003, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-in-blood-can-it-be-done/205292 "2003-10-03T07:37:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![maxcw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@maxcw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maxcw)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-in-blood-can-it-be-done/205292/1 "2003-10-03T07:37:14Z")

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Is it possible to use a magnet strong enough to pull the iron out of our blood?

Kinda like the scene where Magento pulls the iron out of the blood of that guard in X-Men

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**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-in-blood-can-it-be-done/205292/2 "2003-10-03T08:07:08Z")

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I’d say no. (Should read [this](http://www.csicop.org/si/9807/magnet.html).) Oooh, and [this article](http://www.amershamhealth.com/medcyclopaedia/Volume%20I/MR%20OXIMETRY.asp) on MRIs.

Oxygenated blood is slightly diamagnetic, like water (meaning it’s slightly repulsed), and non-oxygenated blood is somewhat paramagnetic (orients itself to a magnetic field).

IIRC, that [levitating frog](http://www.hfml.sci.kun.nl/froglev.html) bit used magnets, and the frog seems ok.

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**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-in-blood-can-it-be-done/205292/3 "2003-10-03T10:24:26Z")

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You have to remember that the iron atoms are coordinated to the nitrogen atoms in the [haem molecule](http://www-biol.paisley.ac.uk/courses/protein_structure/quaternary/quaternary_hb.html). There aren’t just chunks of metallic iron floating around in there.

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**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-in-blood-can-it-be-done/205292/4 "2003-10-03T13:02:21Z")

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In MRI examinations some pretty strong electromagnets don’t have any deleterious effect on the blood as far as I know.

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**Author:** ![Bakhesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Bakhesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bakhesh)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-in-blood-can-it-be-done/205292/5 "2003-10-03T13:10:10Z")

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in the scene in question, Magneto doesn’t rip the iron out of the haemoglobin. He rips out the iron fillings that Mystique has injected into that guards blood stream. Assuming that Magneto can manipulate this, the question should be, can you inject iron fillings into your blood stream and still live? Also, would a metal detector pick up the presence of iron.