Brown adipose tissue (BAT) has the specific function of thermogenesis. Thermogenesis, or
heat production, requires a fuel source. For BAT, the primary fuel source for thermogenesis
is lipid derived from its own stores, from stores in white adipose tissue, or from the diet. Thus,
BAT thermogenesis is a component of overall energy expenditure that involves specifically
the combustion of lipids. In order to appreciate the role of BAT lipid metabolism in overall
energy expenditure, and thus in the altered energy balance that leads to obesity, it must be …