Final answer:
Intestinal cells do indeed hold iron temporarily, storing it as iron-ferritin complexes until the body needs it, at which point iron is released into the bloodstream.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that intestinal cells hold iron temporarily is true. Ionic iron required for hemoglobin production is absorbed into mucosal cells of the small intestine through active transport. Within these cells, the iron binds to the storage protein ferritin, forming iron-ferritin complexes, which serve as a temporary storage for iron. When the body requires iron, there is an increased uptake from the intestine and an accelerated release of iron into the bloodstream. If not needed, the stored iron is lost when mucosal cells are shed. Women, due to menstrual blood loss, have more intestinal iron transport proteins compared to men. Moreover, absorbed iron enters the body's labile iron pool and is transported in the bloodstream bound to transferrin, which can be stored in other cells or utilized immediately.