What are the important characters of adipose tissue?

The Adipose tissue is mainly concerned with the storage of fat. The cells are spherical or oval and are packed in a matrix. The cells are called fat cells or adipocytes. In the beginning a fat cell develops small droplets which coalesce to form a large fat globule.

This globule pushes the cytoplasm and nucleus to the periphery of the cell. The matrix of the tissue consists of fibroblasts, macrophages, collagen fibres, and Elastin fibres. Normally the adipose tissue is white in colour but in some hibernating (Inactive) animals the adipose tissue may be brown in colour. The usual location of the adipose tissue is subcutaneous. It is found around the kidneys, around blood vessels and also in covering of the heart. It is also known to form the yellow bone marrow.

The primary function of the adipose tissue is to store the natural fat which will be utilised whenever necessary. The subcutaneous fat prevents heat loss from the body and also gives a rounded contour. It forms a shock absorbing cushion around the kidneys and eye balls.