ABSTRACT
It is useful to define the three kinds of adipose tissue, which differ radically in their function within the organism.
White adipose tissue is in fact yellow in man because of the liposoluble carotene pigment content. It contains mainly triglycerides, and its principal function is the storage of energy. Histologically, it comprises mainly adipocytes, but also cells which do not contain lipids such as fibroblasts, macrophages, blood cells, and endothelial cells. These cells compose the fraction known as the ‘stromal-vascular’ fraction, which also contains preadipocytes, able to form new adipocytes according to the state of the energy balance and the nutritional and hormonal conditions.1,2
Brown adipose tissue is particularly important in hibernating rodents or mammals. It does not seem to be active in man, except for the perinatal period, during which it is found in relatively large quantities, in particular around the great vessels.
