Adipose Tissues

Adipose tissues are a kind of connective tissue known for their large specialized cells which are both densely packed within the tissue and are densely packed themselves with cellular material. These cells are known as adipocytes and pack triglycerides. Adipose tissues can be recognized by these cells, as their fat vacuoles used to store these fatty acids are so large and dense that they will push other organelles to the edges of the cell.

The triglycerides, being the primary material in body fat, give the tissue its alias as fat or fatty tissue. They also make the tissue look like chicken wire, as they are colorless in comparison to the other organelles and the thin extracellular matrix.

Due to the volume of the adipocytes with triglyceride, the matrix makes up very little of the tissue. The few fibers in the matrix are collagenous in order to hold the adipocytes together.

As the primary component of body fat, adipose tissues are commonly known as storage for high energy triglycerides. One should remember they are also connective tissues and function similarly to loose connective tissues: they cushion delicate organs in the body such as the kidneys to protect them from damage, or other tissues such as hyaline cartilage which heal slowly after being damaged.