Adipose Tissue

[GrymReefer]

I didn't really know where to post this, but considering majority of the members within this section appreciate a little bit of constructive scientific discussions, I thought this would be a suitable choice.

I had an argument with my AP teacher as she considers adipose tissue's categorization to be correct. (her words was that it's just a high functioning tissue in comparison to the common physiological activities of similar tissues.) However, in my eyes I see it as a significant contributor and overall interwoven gland that is a major mediator to our endocrine system. That doesn't even touch on it's contributions to the metabolic system and our mechanisms related to the maintenance of energy homeostasis.


"Adipose Tissue as an Endocrine Organ"

Erin E. Kershaw, andJeffrey S. Flier


Abstract

"Adipose tissue is a complex, essential, and highly active metabolic and endocrine organ. Besides adipocytes, adipose tissue contains connective tissue matrix, nerve tissue, stromovascular cells, and immune cells. Together these components function as an integrated unit. Adipose tissue not only responds to afferent signals from traditional hormone systems and the central nervous system but also expresses and secretes factors with important endocrine functions. These factors include leptin, other cytokines, adiponectin, complement components, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, proteins of the renin-angiotensin system, and resistin. Adipose tissue is also a major site for metabolism of sex steroids and glucocorticoids. The important endocrine function of adipose tissue is emphasized by the adverse metabolic consequences of both adipose tissue excess and deficiency. A better understanding of the endocrine function of adipose tissue will likely lead to more rational therapy for these increasingly prevalent disorders. This review presents an overview of the endocrine functions of adipose tissue."


Full text journal is right here.

 

[CFC]

So to clarify, she's just arguing that adipose is an essentially inert storage substance? Rather than a complex homeostatic and endocrine organ, inextricably involved in whole body metabolism, regulation, control and hormone production, proliferation and interaction? Sounds like she's just being stubborn...??

 

[GrymReefer]

Well I was giving her the benefit of the doubt with the generalized premise that whatever you learn in school becomes "obsolete" in a few years by more current knowledge. Not to be narcissistic, but I believe my knowledge concerning the body is a little more developed than majority of students just beginning the process of educating themselves on the fundamentals of the human body.

Her knowledge could be rusty because she only teaches Anatomy & Physiology I and Introductory Biology I. I threw her a curve ball one day when she was talking about the synthesis of acetyl-CoA and I questioned why pantothenic acid wasn't mentioned.

 

[Serotonin101]

It's always funny to Stump a professor as long as it's done in good spirit. Otherwise they may Harbor a grudge and it ends terribly . Hell stumping any professional in their area of expertise can end badly, like shooting down a pharmaceutical rep in my out patient center because he was saying suboxone couldn't be iv'd when in fact it can. His understanding of receptor binding affinity was non existent and I had a few fellow junkies raise their hands and contest his info as they had indeed iv'd suboxone. Also blew his knowledge of naltrexone put of the water too and made him drop his smug smile real quick and turned it into embarrassmen, then my cock ass had to throw in "this is rudimentary bio Chem and yet you're pushing drugs that you have no idea how they work, let alone misusing the terms opiate and opioid". He got angry and began using ad hominem attacks calling me a street junkie and asking my education background and to cite my sources. Then the counselors shut me down and threatened me with reporting Mt disruptive behavior to my probation officer.... From that day I gained the respect of my peers and became the target by professionals in that center lmao

 

[GrymReefer]

It's always funny to Stump a professor as long as it's done in good spirit. Otherwise they may Harbor a grudge and it ends terribly . Hell stumping any professional in their area of expertise can end badly, like shooting down a pharmaceutical rep in my out patient center because he was saying suboxone couldn't be iv'd when in fact it can. His understanding of receptor binding affinity was non existent and I had a few fellow junkies raise their hands and contest his info as they had indeed iv'd suboxone. Also blew his knowledge of naltrexone put of the water too and made him drop his smug smile real quick and turned it into embarrassmen, then my cock ass had to throw in "this is rudimentary bio Chem and yet you're pushing drugs that you have no idea how they work, let alone misusing the terms opiate and opioid". He got angry and began using ad hominem attacks calling me a street junkie and asking my education background and to cite my sources. Then the counselors shut me down and threatened me with reporting Mt disruptive behavior to my probation officer.... From that day I gained the respect of my peers and became the target by professionals in that center lmao

Lol nice. Yeah I can attest to suboxone being possible to do via I.V route.

I don't feel my teacher is offended by my contradictive statements. She has a PhD in Human Physiology and I can only guess that the period at which she studied the endocrine system was quite a while ago.

Per Hole's 14th Edition Human Anatomy & Physiology textbook....

Tissue- Assembled group of similar cells that performs a specialized function.

Organ- Structure consisting of two or more tissues with a specialized function.

Now some may know that adipose tissue is just the appropriate terminology to label our fat. (subcutaneous, visceral, ectopic, intramuscular...) Our adipose tissue can be separated into two distinctive categories; brown and white adipose tissue. WAT is responsible for storage of triglycerides while BAT is specialized in the dispersion of energy through thermogenesis. That differentiation creating two separate types of tissues and functions points towards the given definition of an organ versus a tissue.