fig1
Figure 1. Metabolic fate of copper. The magnification of the duodenum illustrates the notion that this segment of the digestive system is mainly responsible for the absorption of copper, together with the stomach and jejunum. The transport of copper in the blood is mediated by copper-binding proteins, among which ceruloplasmin and albumin play a prominent role. In addition to bile and the urinary system, a fraction of the copper contained in food is directly excreted in stool[14,41,42].
