A common question: What is body fat?

A common question I have heard people ask over the years is: What exactly is body fat?



Most of us know it as that extra jiggle that gives our body a little extra unwanted volume (especially around the abdominal area!).

To be precise though, human body fat is a type of tissue, specifically adipose tissue composed of MANY cells called adipocytes.

                                           This is what they look like under a microscope.


Believe it or not, the fat does have a function. It serves as a cushion for our organs and insulation for our bodies. Arctic animals like seals and walruses are great examples of where fat serves a life sustaining purpose! 
Fat also serves as an energy storing mechanism for our bodies. Fat contains 9 calories per gram which is more than double the calories proteins and carbohydrates hold. This makes it the ideal candidate for storing energy since it is dense at takes up less space. Think about it, if the human body stored energy in the form of carbohydrates or proteins...you think some people have a problem with size now....

I'm sure not many people (accept maybe students studying basic chemistry) are interested in the chemistry of fat, but just for the heck of it, most fats our composed of a glycerol molecule linked to (up to 3) fatty acid chains, also known as a tryglyceride.

The above molecule is a triglyceride (an unsaturated fat to be specific). The 3 Left most carbons and oxygens are part of the orignal glycerol molecule while the carbons with the double bonded oxygens are the beginnings of each of the fatty acid chains.




This leads me to my next possible topic. Obesity. Why do people get fat? How does our body store fat? How can one lose body fat? I will touch base with on these questions on my next post.



References:

Campbells 9th Edition Biology Book
Jane B. Reece (Author), Lisa A. Urry (Author), Michael L. Cain (Author), Steven A. Wasserman (Author), Peter V. Minorsky (Author), Robert B. Jackson (Author)