Fat Cells

What is a fat cell? Adipocytes, which is a connective tissue that has also known as lipocytes and fat cells, are the cells that primarily compose adipose tissue, specialized in the manufacturing and storing of fat. There are two types of adipose tissue, white tissue and brown adipose tissue, which are also known as white fat and brown fat, respectively, and comprise two types of fat cells. The adipocyte is essential for the body to maintain energy in balance, storing calories in the form of lipids. Under the microscope the adipocyte appears swollen with triglycerides. The nucleus is shifted to one side by the fat. The cytoplasm of the cell looks like a thin line surrounding the pool of fat. Cytoplasm is the substance that fills the cell. It is a jelly like material. You can view fat cells under several types of microscopes using several different kinds of applications. Brightfield and Phase Contrast are two ways you can view live cells under the microscope. Using a fluorescent microscope you can stain your fat cell. The dye or stain that you use will bind to specific molecules and will reveal their location when viewed under a fluorescence microscope.