Adipose Tissue - Composition, Location and Function

Adipose Tissue - Composition, Location and Function Adipose tissue is a lipid storing type of loose connective tissue. Also called fat tissue, adipose is composed primarily of adipose cells or adipocytes. While adipose tissue can be found in a number of places in the body, it is found primarily beneath the skin. Adipose is also located between muscles and around internal organs, particularly those in the abdominal cavity. The energy stored as fat in adipose tissue is used as a fuel source by the body after the available energy acquired from carbohydrates is used up. In addition to storing fat, adipose tissue also produces endocrine hormones which regulate adipocyte activity and are necessary for the regulation of other vital bodily processes. Adipose tissue helps to cushion and protect organs, as well as insulate the body from heat loss. Key Takeaways: Adipose Tissue Adipose, or fat, tissue is loose connective tissue composed of fat cells known as adipocytes.Adipocytes contain lipid droplets of stored triglycerides. These cells swell as they store fat and shrink when the fat is used for energy.Adipose tissue helps to store energy in the form of fat, cushion internal organs, and insulate the body.There are three types of adipose tissue: white, brown, and beige adipose.White adipose stores energy and helps to insulate the body.Brown and beige adipose tissue burn energy and generate heat. Their color is derived from the abundance of blood vessels and mitochondria in the tissue.Adipose tissue also produces hormones, such as adiponectin, which help to burn fat and reduce body weight. Adipose Tissue Composition The majority of cells found in adipose tissue are adipocytes. Adipocytes contain droplets of stored fat (triglycerides) that can be used for energy. These cells swell or shrink depending on whether fat is being stored or used. Other types of cells that comprise adipose tissue include fibroblasts, white blood cells, nerves, and endothelial cells. Adipocytes are derived from precursor cells that develop into one of three types of adipose tissue: white adipose tissue, brown adipose tissue, or beige adipose tissue. The majority of adipose tissue in the body is white.  White adipose tissue stores energy and helps to insulate the body, while  brown adipose burns energy and generates heat.  Beige adipose is genetically different from both brown and white adipose, but burns calories to release energy like brown adipose. Beige fat cells also have the ability to boost their energy-burning capabilities in response to cold. Both brown and beige fat get their color from the abundance of blood vessels and presence of iron-containing mitochondria throughout the tissue. Mitochondria are cell organelles that convert energy into forms that are usable by the cell. Beige adipose can also be produced from white adipose cells. Adipose Tissue Location Adipose tissue is found in various places in the body. Some of these locations include the subcutaneous layer under the skin; around the heart, kidneys, and nerve tissue; in yellow bone marrow and breast tissue; and within the buttocks, thighs, and abdominal cavity. While white fat accumulates in these areas, brown fat is located in more specific areas of the body. In adults, small deposits of brown fat are found on the upper back, the side of the neck, the shoulder area, and along the spine. Infants have a greater percentage of brown fat than do adults. This fat can be found on most of the back region and is important for generating heat. Adipose Tissue Endocrine Function Adipose tissue acts as an endocrine system organ by generating hormones that influence metabolic activity in other organ systems. Some of the hormones produced by adipose cells influence sex hormone metabolism, blood pressure regulation, insulin sensitivity, fat storage and use, blood clotting, and cell signaling. A major function of adipose cells is to increase the bodys sensitivity to insulin, thereby protecting against obesity. Fat tissue produces the hormone adiponectin which acts on the brain to increase metabolism, promote the breakdown of fat, and increase energy use in muscles without affecting appetite. All of these actions help to reduce body weight and reduce the risk of developing conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Sources Adipose Tissue. You and Your Hormones, Society for Endocrinology, www.yourhormones.info/glands/adipose-tissue/.Stephens, Jacqueline M. The Fat Controller: Adipocyte Development. PLoS Biology, vol. 10, no. 11, 2012, doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001436.

Five steps to writing a great LinkedIn profile - Emphasis

Five steps to writing a great LinkedIn profile Five steps to writing a great LinkedIn profile LinkedIn, thats that online CV thing, right? Well, kind of. But with more than 200 million registered users, 2.8 million company pages and 2.6 billion page views per month, LinkedIn is more than just that, writes Emma Beals. It has 11 million users in the UK, and 74 million in the US. This represents a select audience, too. LinkedIn users are far more likely than non-users to hold university or graduate degrees and be earning in excess of 50,000 per year, which means they are doing some serious business. It has become a powerful professional networking and personal marketing tool. So whether youre keen to get your work or company noticed, or youre on the look-out for a new job, getting the LinkedIn basics right is the first step towards reaching your goals. So here are five sure-fire ways to use your writing skills to up your game on LinkedIn. 1. Complete your profile and keep it up-to-date This may sound obvious, but its very easy to forget this basic step especially if youve been in a role for a while or youve been busy on a project. The very things that are keeping you busy are probably the same ones you should be adding to your achievements and you should mention that promotion as soon as possible. 2. Write a profile summary One of the best ways to stand out is to write a great profile summary. This is a punchy piece that tells the reader something about who you are and what you do. You need to engage the reader from the first line, by writing a great introduction. Your profile statement should be vibrant and distil your skills and experience into a short, clear statement. This is the time for the active voice. You should include your objectives and a call to action. Are you looking to network or for new clients or opportunities? Say so, and suggest the best way to get in touch with you. 3. SEO your LinkedIn page Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) isnt just for websites and Google rankings. Thousands of recruiters and companies search LinkedIn every day, and you want to show up in their search. There are two key ways to push your profile page up the search results: Keywords In your position descriptions, profile statement and throughout your entire profile, make sure you use the words people are searching for. Your can-do attitude might be a wonderful asset in the office but no one is going to search for it. Use specific, search-orientated words throughout your profile, eg project management, social media lead generation, immigration law. Social clout The number of connections you have, the companies you follow and the groups you belong to all affect how far up the search results you appear. If you have shared connections of any kind with the person who is searching, youll come in higher than thousands of other profiles with the same skills and keywords. Prove yourself Once someone is on your page, you need to gain their trust and respect. Links to your other websites or your work, recommendations from colleagues and ex-colleagues and the quality of your connections will all have an impact. 4. Status updates Have you just won a new account, produced a piece of work, or written an article or blog for something related to your work? Here is the place to share it and promote your work to your contacts. This is a great way to be seen as a thought leader in your field and to keep your contacts informed of what youve been doing. It will also help keep your profile relevant and up-to-date think of it as personal marketing. 5. Recommendations You cant make your colleagues and ex-colleagues recommend you (though you can ask), but you can recommend them. What you write will also show on your own page, so its an excellent way to demonstrate the working relationships you have built. Youll find that those youve written about will be more likely to recommend you in return. Using LinkedIn is a great way to keep up-to-date on developments and news within your industry, and in touch with its influencers and to keep them in touch and up-to-date with you. If youre not on it, youre missing out. And if you are on it, come and say hello. Have you been on an Emphasis course? If so, why not join our LinkedIn group Emphasis alumni? You can use it to ask questions, debate issues, or just keep up-to-date with our business-writing articles.