Mitochondria, ADP/ATP and Body Fat - Feedback: @Health Aware!

The thing about brown fat is that it takes a very small amount to burn a lot of energy. The fat really is brown, researchers say, because it is filled with mitochondria, the tiny energy factories of cells. Mitochondria contain iron, giving the tissue a reddish brown color. The hope is that scientists may find safe ways to turn on peoples’ brown fat, allowing them to lose weight by burning more calories. The key to finding brown fat in humans was PET-CT scans. The PET scans pinpoint areas where cells are actively burning glucose and the CT scans identify it as fat. Because brown fat rapidly burns glucose to produce heat, it lights up in PET scans. In two of the three studies, investigators also studied samples of brown fat that were removed from a few subjects, confirming that the cells had a protein, UCP-1, that is unique to brown fat.

A variety of substrate carrier proteins that are involved in energy transfer are found in the inner mitochondrial membrane. The brown fat uncoupling protein (UCP) dissipates oxidative energy into heat by transporting protons from the cytosol into the mitochondrial matrix. UCP functions as a dimer, forming a proton channel that leads to uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation by dissipation of the electrochemical potential across the inner membrane. These characteristics are shared by the ADP/ATP carrier protein, which is a member of the mitochondrial carrier family.

Body fat measurements and the measuring tape are recognized as superior methods for measuring weight loss. When one declares that they want to lose weight, what they often mean is that they want to lose fat. So, now that you've had your body fat percentage measured, what does the number really mean? First, your body fat percentage is simply the percentage of fat your body contains. If you are 150 pounds and 10% fat, it means that your body consists of 15 pounds fat and 135 pounds lean body mass. A certain amount of fat is essential to bodily functions. Fat regulates body temperature, cushions and insulates organs and tissues and is the main form of the body's energy storage. The following table describes body fat ranges and their associated categories.

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