Classification and function of adipose tissue

Adipose tissue is a loose connective tissue composed mostly of adipocytes. Adipose tissue has traditionally been classified into white and brown type adipose tissue, although a third type of inducible brownlike adipose tissue or “beige” has emerged.

White adipose tissue stores energy, for example, in the form of triglycerides, whereas brown and beige adipocytes consume energy.

Fat storage is a specialized function of adipose tissue and it represents the major fuel depot of the body; it is as essential to normal function as any other tissue. This function is performed by adipocytes, which comprise the vast majority of cells in adipose tissue.

Body fat serves other important functions: It insulates the body against low environmental temperatures and serves as a shock absorber.

In many mammals, including human infants, brown adipose tissue is also presents for thermogenic function in the absence of shivering.

Typically, fat stored in adipose tissue represents 15 percent to 20 percent of men’s weight and 20 percent to 25 percent of women’s average weight.

During obesity, there is a marked expansion of white adipose tissue, especially in the visceral compartment, along with profound disruption of resident leukocyte homeostasis prompting chronic inflation and metabolic dysfunction.
Classification and function of adipose tissue