Understanding Fat: A Necessary Tissue

The preservation process can slightly change the color of adipose tissue, making the white fat appear more yellowish.

The scientific term for fat is adipose tissue.

Adipose tissue stores energy, provides insulation, produces heat, cushions organs, and acts as an endocrine organ by secreting hormones.

Adipose tissue was crucial for storing energy for survival, helping early humans survive periods without food and supporting long hunts during times of food scarcity.

Humans have primitive wiring that promotes eating as much as possible when food is available, as survival historically depended on storing energy for times of scarcity.

Females generally have higher body fat percentages due to evolutionary roles in reproduction, requiring more energy reserves for pregnancy and breastfeeding.

The two main types of fat by color are white fat and brown fat. White fat provides insulation, while brown fat generates heat through thermogenesis.

In infants, brown fat is found in higher amounts, but in adults, it is found in smaller quantities mainly around the clavicles and neck.

Newborns lack sufficient muscle mass and neural pathways for shivering, so they rely on brown fat's non-shivering thermogenesis for warmth.

Subcutaneous fat is fat located below the skin, covering muscles, and can vary in thickness.

Visceral fat surrounds and protects the internal organs and is made up of white fat, just like subcutaneous fat.

Adipose tissue produces hormones like leptin, adiponectin, and estrogen, and secretes cytokines involved in inflammatory responses.

The 'Goldilocks principle' suggests that the amount of fat should be just right, not too little or too much, for optimal health and bodily function.

Brown fat generates heat through thermogenesis using specialized mitochondria with a decoupling protein, which warms the body.

Low body fat in females can disrupt menstrual cycles, as the body prioritizes energy reserves for potential pregnancy.

White fat acts mainly as insulation, while brown fat actively generates heat through thermogenesis using specialized mitochondria.

Larger brain size in humans is partly attributed to higher body fat percentages during evolution, providing energy for brain development.

Testosterone tends to reduce fat accumulation and promote muscle protein synthesis, while estrogen promotes fat deposition.

Higher body fat percentages in human ancestors allowed storage of more energy, supporting larger brain development during evolution.

Brown fat in newborns is crucial for heat production, as they cannot shiver effectively to generate warmth like adults do.

The preservation process can slightly change the color of adipose tissue, making the white fat appear more yellowish.

The scientific term for fat is adipose tissue.