Iron, Serum LabCorp

The serum iron test provides a measurement of the amount of iron in the bloodstream. The total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) test looks at how well iron is moving throughout the body. Iron is an essential mineral that the body needs in order to remain healthy. The body uses iron to make hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells (RBCs) that carries oxygen throughout the body. If there isn't enough iron, there may not be enough hemoglobin. This condition is called iron deficiency anemia. Iron in the body is carried, or bound, mainly to a protein made by the liver called transferrin.