108 THE HUMAN BODY. 



Considerable quantities exist for example in the subcuta- 

 neous areolar tissue, especially in the female sex, giving the 

 figure of the woman its general more graceful roundness of 

 contour when compared with that of the male. Large quanti- 

 ties commonly lie in the abdominal cavity around the kid- 

 neys; in the eye-sockets, forming a 

 pad for the eyeballs ; in the mar- 

 row of bones; around the joints, 

 and so on. 



Examined with the microscope 

 (Fig. 49) adipose tissue is found to 

 consist of small vesicles from 0.2 

 mm. to 0.09 mm. ( T -J-Q to ^-J-^ inch) 

 in diameter, clustered together into 

 little masses and bound to one an- 



FIG. 49. Fat-cells imbedded ., , ,. ,. -, , -, ^ 



in areolar tissue, a, nucleus; Other by Connective tlSSlie and blood- 

 6, protoplasmic, oil-droplet.^ veggels ^^ intertwine around 



them; in this way the little angular masses which are seen in 

 beef-suet are formed, each mass being separated by a some- 

 what coarser partitioii of areolar tissue from its neighbors. 

 The individual fat-cells are spherical or ovoid except when 

 closely packed ; then they become polygonal. Each consists 

 of a delicate envelope containing oily matter, which in life 

 is liquid at the temperature of the Body. Besides the oily 

 matter, a nucleus is commonly present in each fat-cell; and 

 a thin layer of protoplasm, exaggerated in Fig. 49, forms a 

 lining to the cell-wall. The oily matter consists of a mixture 

 of palmatin, olein and stearin, which are compounds of pal- 

 mitic, stearic and oleic acids with glycerin, three molecules 

 of the acid being combined with one of glycerin, with the 

 elimination of water; as for example: 



3 (C,,H 3S | Q ) +OA J Q _ 3(0,^0) J 0s + 3H 2 



Stearic acid. Glycerin. Stearin. Water. 



