Question

Write a short note on adipose tissue.

Answer 1

Body fat is found in the body. It can be identified as subcutaneous fat under the skin, packed as visceral fat around internal organs, between bones, inside the bone marrow and in the tissue of the breast.

Complete answer:
Adipose tissue is a type of specialised connective tissue that mainly stores energy, protects organs and contributes to the body's endocrine profile. It consists of cells called adipocytes that are high in lipids. The key function of adipose tissue is to retain energy in the form of lipids (fat) since it accounts for around 20-25% of total body weight in healthy individuals. Adipose tissues are located mostly beneath the skin, but also in deposits between the muscles, the intestines, the membrane folds, the heart and elsewhere. It is also present in the marrow of the bone, where it is yellow in colour. The fat that is contained in adipose tissue comes from or is created in the body from dietary fats.

Hence, adipose tissue is classified into parietal (under the skin) and visceral (surrounding organs) depending on its location. There are two distinct adipose types in mammals, namely white adipose tissue and brown adipose tissue. The most popular kind, white adipose, offers insulation, acts as an energy store and forms pads between organs. Brown adipose, found predominantly in newborn animals, creates heat and absorbs energy in fact. In humans, with age, the percentage of brown adipose found in the body declines.

Note: In humans, depending on sex, the distribution of adipose tissue in the body can vary. Men gather fat around the waist in general, and women prefer to gain more fat around the hips than the waist.