brown fat

noun

1. brownish-yellow adipose tissue in the upper back, or interscapular, region of many mammals, most conspicuously in hibernating species and human newborns, composed of numerous innervated fat cells that can produce heat during cold stress; thermogenic tissue.

brown fat

noun

1. tissue composed of a type of fat cell that dissipates as heat most of the energy released when food is oxidized; brown adipose tissue. It is present in hibernating animals and human babies and is thought to be important in adult weight control

Word History and Origins

Origin of brown fat¹

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Because brown fat is so good at burning calories, scientists are trying to find ways to activate it safely using drugs that boost its heat-producing abilities.

From Science Daily

"Looking ahead, we think that finding ways to block AC3-AT could be a promising strategy for safely activating brown fat and tackling obesity and related health problems," Hande Topel says.

From Science Daily

Hande Topel explains: "When we investigated mice that genetically didn't have AC3-AT, we found that they were protected from becoming obese, partly because their bodies were simply better at burning off calories and were able to increase their metabolic rates through activating brown fat."

From Science Daily

Although the prevalence of brown fat decreases as humans age, and despite grown-ups not having as much brown fat as newborns, it can still be activated, for instance by cold exposure.

From Science Daily

"Understanding these kinds of molecular mechanisms not only sheds light on the regulation of brown fat but also holds promise for unraveling similar mechanisms in other cellular pathways. This knowledge can be instrumental in advancing our understanding of various diseases and in the development of novel treatments," says co-corresponding author Prof. Jan-Wilhelm Kornfeld, University of Southern Denmark.

From Science Daily