Overweight & Obesity

Largest ever genome-wide study strengthens genetic link to obesity

There are many reasons why people gain different amounts of weight and why fat becomes stored in different parts of their bodies. Now researchers are homing in on genetic reasons. Their findings, part of the largest genome-wide ...

Medical research

Lack of seipin in testes could cause male infertility

(Medical Xpress)—Jiahao Sha and his colleagues at Nanjing University in China studied humans and mice with genetic abnormalities that prevent them from producing a protein called seipin. Lack of seipin causes body fat to ...

Genetics

Chaperoning fat storage: The molecular basis of adiposity

Weight gain and weight loss are not as simple as "calories in, calories out," given that countless factors affect body weight. Now, researchers from Japan have identified a gene that may serve as a master regulator of fat ...

Endocrinology & Metabolism

Study finds link between seasons and eating habits

The number of hours of light exposure we experience affects how we eat and how we burn energy. This may help us understand the link between seasons and metabolism.

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Adipose tissue

In histology, adipose tissue or body fat or just fat is loose connective tissue composed of adipocytes. Adipose tissue is derived from lipoblasts. Its main role is to store energy in the form of fat, although it also cushions and insulates the body. Obesity or being overweight in humans and most animals does not depend on body weight but on the amount of body fat—specifically, adipose tissue. Two types of adipose tissue exist: white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT). Adipose tissue also serves as an important endocrine organ by producing hormones such as leptin, resistin and the cytokine TNFα. The formation of adipose tissue appears to be controlled by the adipose gene. Adipose tissue was first identified by the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner in 1551.\

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