Final answer:
Iron is a metal known for its shiny appearance, conductivity, malleability, and ductility. Chemically, it can corrode in moist air and is crucial for biological processes as a component of hemoglobin. The structure of iron, such as its body-centered cubic form at low temperatures, is also notable.
Step-by-step explanation:
Iron is a chemical element and is considered a metal because it has characteristic properties such as being shiny, conducting electricity and heat well, and being malleable and ductile. These properties are typical of metals, whereas nonmetals tend to be brittle and poor conductors of heat and electricity. In addition to its physical properties, iron exhibits chemical properties such as its tendency to corrode in moist air, a property that is often used to identify chemical reactions involving iron. Other relevant properties of iron include its electronic configuration, which is [Ar]4s²3d6, and its stability in oxidation states after losing electrons.
Iron plays a crucial role in biology as well; it is a component of hemoglobin in blood, which is responsible for oxygen transport. The body absorbs heme iron from animal sources more efficiently than non-heme iron from plant sources, with ferritin and hemosiderin serving as iron storage compounds in the bone marrow, liver, and spleen. During the production of erythrocytes, iron is transported by transferrin from these storage sites to aid in the formation of red blood cells.