Fat is mainly stored in two types of adipose tissue: white and brown. White adipose tissue stores calories as large lipid droplets within individual cells. By contrast, brown adipose tissue (BAT) stores little fat, instead burning it to produce heat and regulate body temperature. Small mammals and newborn humans have copious amounts of BAT around their shoulder blades, which helps them to survive cold temperatures. Adult humans, however, were largely thought to lack BAT, with only one investigation describing adipose tissue that seemed to function as BAT. Three independent studies, just published in The New England Journal of Medicine, follow up this observation, and conclusively identify BAT in adult humans.
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