Fat Cells

So recently I've been reading about fat cells, also known as adipocytes and occasionally as lipocytes. In many ways they are like standard human cells, having many (if not all?) of the same components: nucleus, ribosomes, mitochondria etc.

But they differ in substantial ways. They do not divide, there is no cell division. They live for about 10 years. They grow or shrink in size as fat is absorbed or released. We have a more or less constant number of fat cells. About 10% die each year and are replaced. 

Fat is released from the cells and into the blood stream through lipolysis; triglycerides are converted into glycerol and free fatty acids. Lipolysis is used to mobilise stored energy during fasting or exercise. The most important regulatory hormone (amongst many, including epinephrine) in lipolysis is insulin; lipolysis can only occur when insulin action falls to low levels, as occurs during fasting.

So how to burn belly fat? Exercise and fast.

I will look at how fat is created (lipogenesis)  in a future article.