![]() Conversely, in humans, all-cause mortality is as high in underweight people (as defined by body mass index) as it is in patients with higher BMIs. Mice engineered to lack adipose are lean but die young, destined for fatty liver disease and diabetes. Fat tissue communicates with the brain through hormones called adipokines and through sensory nerves, apprising us of our nutrient status.Īdipose tissue is essential for life. Adipocytes, the functional units of fat tissue, line our blood vessels, helping to maintain normal blood pressure. ![]() Fat is also part of our immune system: The greater omentum, one of the visceral fat pads thought to play a role in cardiovascular disease, hunts down infections and cancers in the peritoneal cavity, walling them off until they are resolved. From the backs of our eyes to the joints of our knees, it prevents acute trauma. On a macroscopic scale, fat acts as a biomechanical cushion.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |