Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT)
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A Brown Adipose Tissue (BAT) is an adipose tissue composed of brown fat cells.
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- See: Capillaries, Sympathetic Nervous System, Hibernation, Non-Shivering Thermogenesis, Adipocytes, Lipid Droplet, Iron, Mitochondria.
References
2017
- (Wikipedia, 2017) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_adipose_tissue Retrieved:2017-11-23.
- Brown adipose tissue (BAT) or brown fat makes up the adipose organ together with white adipose tissue (or white fat). Brown adipose tissue is found in almost all mammals. Classification of brown fat refers to two distinct cell populations with similar functions. The first shares a common embryological origin with muscle cells, found in larger "classic" deposits. The second develops from white adipocytes that are stimulated by the sympathetic nervous system. These adipocytes are found interspersed in white adipose tissue and are also named 'beige' or 'brite'. Brown adipose tissue is especially abundant in newborns and in hibernating mammals. It is also present and metabolically active in adult humans, but its prevalence decreases as humans age. Its primary function is thermoregulation. In addition to heat produced by shivering muscle, brown adipose tissue produces heat by non-shivering thermogenesis. In contrast to white adipocytes, which contain a single lipid droplet, brown adipocytes contain numerous smaller droplets and a much higher number of (iron-containing) mitochondria, which gives brown adipose tissue its brown appearance. Brown fat also contains more capillaries than white fat, to supply the tissue with oxygen and nutrients and distribute the produced heat throughout the body.