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Adipocyte Development

Meaning

Adipocyte Development is the biological process by which precursor cells, known as preadipocytes, undergo differentiation and maturation into functional adipocytes, or mature fat cells. This complex cellular specialization is essential for establishing and maintaining the body’s adipose tissue mass, which serves as the primary energy storage reservoir. Understanding this process is clinically relevant for managing metabolic health, particularly in the context of conditions like obesity and insulin resistance. The ability of adipose tissue to expand through this mechanism, known as hyperplasia, is often associated with better metabolic outcomes than hypertrophy alone.