Adipose Tissue

The article argues that feeling cold is usually caused by difficulty accessing stored fuel rather than by lacking stored fuel. Adipose tissue is a glandular organ with active metabolic functions, not merely passive storage. Adipose tissue synthesizes and secretes hormones and signaling molecules. Stored fat can be broken down to produce glucose. Fat cells participate in systemic insulin signaling. The body responds to fat-soluble toxins by wrapping them and sequestering them within adipose tissue. Dysfunction of fat tissue has system-wide consequences, not just local ones. Body fat is presented as the body's main long-term stored energy source. Fat stores are one of the two primary fuel sources used in gluconeogenesis. Even relatively lean bodies can store very large amounts of energy as fat. Adipose tissue acts as a long-term depot for fat-soluble environmental toxins. Stored fat can be mobilized by the liver to help generate glucose.