Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Tissue Renewal without Stem Cells01:23

Tissue Renewal without Stem Cells

After cellular or tissue damage, the resident stem cells present in the human body can locally repair and regenerate the damaged tissue or organ. However, even though some tissues do not have stem cells, they can repair and regenerate with the help of pre-existing cells. For example, beta cells of the pancreas and hepatocytes of the liver can divide to renew and regenerate the tissue. Here, both cell division and cell death are well regulated by homeostasis.
However, failure of such a system...
Adult Stem Cells01:33

Adult Stem Cells

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that divide and produce more stem cells or progenitor cells that differentiate into mature, specialized cell types. All the cells in the body are generated from stem cells in the early embryo, but small populations of stem cells are also present in many adult tissues including the bone marrow, brain, skin, and gut. These adult stem cells typically produce the various cell types found in that tissue—to replace cells that are damaged or to continuously renew...
Renewal of Intestinal Stem Cells01:23

Renewal of Intestinal Stem Cells

The intestinal epithelial lining rapidly renews every 4 to 5 days. The renewal is facilitated by intestinal stem cells (ISCs) located at the base of the crypt– a gland located at the bottom of each villus. ISCs divide asymmetrically to form new stem cells and progenitor daughter cells. The daughter cells are called transit-amplifying (TA) cells which move upwards along the crypt and either differentiate into absorptive cells– the enterocytes or secretory cells– including the goblet,...
Liver Regeneration01:24

Liver Regeneration

The liver is an important organ in vertebrates that plays an essential role in metabolism. It is also responsible for storing and redistributing nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins in the body. Additionally, the liver releases bile salts which are critical for digesting food and eliminating toxic metabolites from the body.
Cells of Liver
The liver comprises four major types of cells— hepatocytes, stellate, Kupffer, and sinusoidal endothelial cells. The hepatocytes are large...
Bone Cells and Tissue01:30

Bone Cells and Tissue

Bones contain a relatively small number of cells entrenched in a matrix of organic and inorganic components. Although bone cells compose only a small amount of the bone volume, they are crucial to its function. Four types of cells are found within the bone tissue— osteoblasts, osteocytes, osteogenic cells, and osteoclasts.
Osteoblasts and Osteocytes
The osteoblast is the bone cell responsible for forming new bone tissue. It is found in the growing portions of bone, including the periosteum and...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Target tissue insulin resistance in early and late onset of overweight or obesity.

International journal of obesity (2005)·2026
Same author

Senescence Detection Using Reflected Light in Adipose Stromal Vascular Fraction.

Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE·2026
Same author

Adipose cellularity and long-term development of impaired glucose metabolism: Swedish cohort study from 1988 through 2016.

EBioMedicine·2026
Same author

The nature of sex differences in catecholamine-induced lipolysis in subcutaneous fat cells.

iScience·2026
Same author

Use of UCHL1 Gene Expression to Estimate Adipocyte Size.

Diabetes·2025
Same author

The Anti-Lipolytic Effect of Insulin in Adipocytes Associates with the Magnitude of Dietary Induced Loss in Body Weight and Fat Mass: A Longitudinal Study.

Obesity facts·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Semi-Automated Isolation of the Stromal Vascular Fraction from Murine White Adipose Tissue Using a Tissue Dissociator
06:08

Semi-Automated Isolation of the Stromal Vascular Fraction from Murine White Adipose Tissue Using a Tissue Dissociator

Published on: May 19, 2023

Fat cell turnover in humans.

Peter Arner1, Kirsty L Spalding

  • 1Department of Medicine, Karolinska, University Hospital, SE-14186 Stockholm, Sweden. Peter.Arner@ki.se

Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
|May 25, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Understanding fat cell turnover is crucial for treating obesity and related disorders. This review explores human adipocyte turnover and its clinical relevance for managing fat mass.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Metabolic Science
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Obesity, characterized by excess body fat, poses significant health risks, including cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, potentially decreasing life expectancy.
  • Conditions like anorexia nervosa and cachexia involve subnormal adipose tissue levels, leading to morbidity and mortality.
  • Understanding the determinants of fat mass is critical due to the personal and economic costs and increasing prevalence of these disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge on human fat cell turnover.
  • To explore the clinical implications of adipocyte turnover for treating fat mass disorders.

Main Methods:

  • This review synthesizes existing research on adipocyte turnover in humans.
  • It examines the two primary mechanisms regulating fat mass: lipid filling of adipocytes and changes in adipocyte number through generation or death.

More Related Videos

Generation of Human Adipose Stem Cells through Dedifferentiation of Mature Adipocytes in Ceiling Cultures
07:35

Generation of Human Adipose Stem Cells through Dedifferentiation of Mature Adipocytes in Ceiling Cultures

Published on: March 7, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Semi-Automated Isolation of the Stromal Vascular Fraction from Murine White Adipose Tissue Using a Tissue Dissociator
06:08

Semi-Automated Isolation of the Stromal Vascular Fraction from Murine White Adipose Tissue Using a Tissue Dissociator

Published on: May 19, 2023

Generation of Human Adipose Stem Cells through Dedifferentiation of Mature Adipocytes in Ceiling Cultures
07:35

Generation of Human Adipose Stem Cells through Dedifferentiation of Mature Adipocytes in Ceiling Cultures

Published on: March 7, 2015

Main Results:

  • Fat mass is regulated by altering lipid content within existing fat cells or by changing the total number of fat cells.
  • Adipocyte turnover, involving the creation of new fat cells and the death of old ones, is a key factor in fat mass regulation.

Conclusions:

  • Adipocyte turnover plays a significant role in regulating human fat mass.
  • Understanding these processes may lead to novel therapeutic strategies for obesity, anorexia nervosa, and cachexia.