# Iron in Man

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-in-man/36809>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 13, 2000, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-in-man/36809 "2000-10-13T17:24:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-in-man/36809/1 "2000-10-13T17:24:09Z")

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How much iron (measured in grams) does the average man’s (say 5-10 @ 170 lbs) body contain.

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**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-in-man/36809/2 "2000-10-13T18:35:25Z")

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No idea, but the thread title reminded me that I went to grade school with a kid named Aaron Inman. I wonder where he is…

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**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\
**Post date:** [October 13, 2000, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-in-man/36809/3 "2000-10-13T18:52:23Z")

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Wow, the internet is cool.

[This](http://www.neosoft.com/~uthman/elements_of_body.html) site says that iron is the 12th most abundant element in the human body and that a 70kg (154 lb.)person has approximately 4.2g of iron in their body. That would mean a 170 _pound_ (77.1kg) human would have about 0.0102 pounds (about 1/6 of an ounce) or **4.6g**. Enough to make an 8.1 mm cube.

Feel free to correct my math.

[Edited by Alphagene on 10-13-2000 at 02:12 PM]