How it works
An adipocyte is a fat cell, also called an adipose cell. There are two main kinds, white and brown. Both store fat as lipid droplets, but they pack it very differently.
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White: one droplet, nucleus at the edge
A single large lipid droplet fills the cell. The cytoplasm is squeezed into a narrow rim, and the nucleus is flattened against the edge.
Brown: many droplets, many mitochondria
The fat is in many small droplets with cytoplasm all round them. The nucleus is round and away from the edge. The cell is crowded with mitochondria, and capillaries lie close by.
- To tell them apart at a glance, count the droplets: one means white, many means brown.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between a white and a brown fat cell?
A white fat cell has one large lipid droplet, a thin rim of cytoplasm and a nucleus pushed to the edge. A brown fat cell has many small droplets, cytoplasm throughout, a round nucleus and many mitochondria.
Why is brown fat brown?
Because of its mitochondria. A brown fat cell holds a very large number of them, and they give the tissue its color.
What does each kind of fat cell do?
White fat cells are a store of energy. Brown fat cells make heat, which is why they have so many mitochondria and a rich supply of blood.
Where is the nucleus in a fat cell?
In a white fat cell the large droplet pushes it to the edge and flattens it. In a brown fat cell it is round and lies away from the edge.