Ordinary fat cells contain a drop of triglyceride, a kind of lipid. Of course you will not see this stained in sections.

The membranes between the cells are always thin (sometimes so thin you cannot see them.) By contrast, they may appear wide and diaphanous if they lie at an angle near-parallel with the plane of section.

You cannot always be sure that a nucleus belongs to a fat cell rather than to a capillary cell. Actually, fat cells are adapted pericytes.

Fat cells are called "adipocytes".

This is common, yellow fat.

With your study partners, find:

• the lipid vacuoles


• the cell membranes


• the cell nuclei

United States Pronunciations:

• Adipocyte: ADD-i-poe-site.
  Please don't say a-DIP-uh-site.

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Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences