Two types of adipose cells are found in fat tissues, white and brown adipocytes.  These adipose cell types vary in their ability to mobilize energy from stored fat.  Brown fat cells are smaller and more efficient at converting fat into available energy.  Brown fat is more typical in infants, being replaced gradually by white fat as we age.  In both cell types fat droplets enlarge to push nuclei and cytoplasm to the periphery. Since alcohol used during tissue preparations dissolve these lipids from the cells they appear in most specimens as circular, empty cells.

Adipose tissues form within areolar tissues as adipocytes proliferate under conditions of high energy availability.  Since the delivery and mobilization of energy molecules to and from adipose storage sites requires blood flow, adipose tissue is highly vascularized with well-developed capillary beds.  In larger blocks of adipose tissues, look for numerous small capillaries between the adipocytes!

Let's take a look at:

• Adipose tissue with some areolar supporting sweat gland ducts!

• Areolar with some adipose supporting sweat gland ducts!

• A larger block of adipose tissue with capillaries!