Adipose tissue development, structure and function

Abstract

One of the earliest reports of adipose tissue was made by the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner in 1551 (as translated by Cannon and Nedergaard [1]). However, the notion that adipose tissue was composed of living lipid-laden cells was hotly debated [2]. The past decades have seen a remarkable increase in our understanding of adipose biology and obesity (Fig.1). This trend is undoubtedly driven by the global epidemic of obesity and associated diseases. Adipose tissue is designed to function as the main long-term fuel-handling organ, and actively controls energy homeostasis. Adipose tissue stores excess fuel in the form of triglycerides and relinquishes these reserves during periods of nutritional deprivation. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.