Tag Archive for 'Thermogenesis'

An artist’s impression of the likely-endothermic Dimetrodon grandis, an early synapsid that was around for about 20 million years from the Early Permian epoch, 295 million years ago. Image credit: Max Bellomio.

Study Sheds New Light on Origin of Whole-Body Endothermy

Dec 14, 2021 by News Staff

The whole-body endothermy seen in modern birds and mammals is long held to have evolved independently in each group, a reasonable assumption when it was...

White fat cells (adipocytes) activate the lipolysis pathway to produce the free fatty acids that are used as heating fuel by brown adipose tissue. Nayak et al show that OPN3 is required for blue-light-enhanced activation of the lipolysis pathway. This explains the low body temperature of OPN3 mutant mice. Image credit: Nayak et al, doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.12.043.

Fat Cells Can Sense Light, Animal Study Shows

Jan 28, 2020 by News Staff

Light exposure regulates how two kinds of fat cells (adipocytes) work together to produce the raw materials that all other cells use for energy, according...

Jiang et al provide a long-sought explanation for the beneficial fat-fighting effects of cinnamon. Image credit: Hans Braxmeier.

New Study Explains Fat-Fighting Effects of Cinnamon

Nov 28, 2017 by News Staff

Cinnamaldehyde, an essential oil that gives cinnamon its flavor, activates thermogenic and metabolic responses in fat cells, or adipocytes, according to...