Brown Fat

1. By Dillon Brown Fat

2. What is It? • Brown Adipose Tissue is the fat that most newborn mammals and all ages of artic mammals have • It has the unique ability to create heat • Its color ranges from a DARK RED to a TAN • When a mammal is in a colder place its lipid reserves drop making the color darker and the opposite of course

3. Where Can it Be Found? • Like I said it has the ability to make heat so it’s likely that you would think of polar animals, and you’re smart if you did • Many small arctic animals keep a hearty supply of brown fat handy for those snowy days • Some of these include foxes, rabbits, and especial mice • Mice are said to keep a supply of brown fat, usually near the kidney, throughout most of their lives • And of course, infants. All of us at one point had about 5% body weight in this fat. So much for staying warm since we all lose it after just a short period of time.

4. Differences Anyone? Brown Fat White Fat • Some people believe that brown fat does not simply get replaced as a baby grows older, but it loses most of the mitochondria (which gives it it’s color) and takes on the appearance and similarities of white fat

5. The Bigger Picture

6. How Does It Make Heat • When a human is born its body has little white fat to help retain heat • Babies are left to make heat by breaking down fat molecules into fatty acids in brown fat • However, unlike in white fat cells, these acids don’t leave the cell, instead they are broken down farther in the mitochondria • When released from the mitochondria these “former acids” are purely heat, rather than other forms of energy • When babies start eating more as they grow older white fat layers start showing up replacing the brown fat

7. So, Why Do Babies Need It? • It is proven that babies are more susceptible to cold than adults, and because of this hypothermia is a leading risk of death for infants • First of all, babies lack thermal insulation, such as white fat or fine body hair • Babies can’t move away from cold areas or put on additional layers of clothing like adults can • The nervous system of a baby is not fully developed leaving them no way to signal if they are warm or cold. Because of that they cannot shiver

8. In Plants? • Well, not exactly, but similar cells have been found in plants which help them survive through winters and frosts • The Titan Arum for example uses these kinds of cells to keep its internal temperature above 37o Celsius during winter • This cause volatile chemicals to be given off which results in a rotten meat-like smell attracting flies and that results in pollination • These cells have special proteins that uncouple the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation to produce heat Go Back (Used to get back to Slide 10)

9. What Good is it for Us? • We all know obesity is at all-time high levels in America, and scientist have possibly found ways to treat it using brown fat • We all know white fat cells are stored and used as energy when needed, but brown fat actually burns calories when making heat • Scientists have started exploring ways to encourage brown fat cells to grow in adult bodies • But of course we have to think how brown fat cells could damage our bodies, since there are reasons we only have it during infancy, like how would it affect our bodies when we are already in warm climates Go Back (Used to get back to slide 10)

10. Questions To Ask Yourself • Why would a plant that lives in a tropical rainforest need a brown fat like substance in it? • If scientists could put brown fat into your body, what would it do to you? Could the heat-making possibilities be harmful to you when so many people suffer from heat stroke without it? • Come up with questions to ask yourself about it? Click Here to go to Plant Page Click to see Titan Arum Picture Click to go to Good for Us Page Click Here

11. Titan Arum Go Back

12. Thanks for Your Attention The End