Table 1.

Main characteristics of white, brown, and beige adipocytes

	WHITE ADIPOSE TISSUE	Beige adipose tissue	brown adipose tissue
origin	- Myf5-negative cells	- Myf5-negative cells - White adipose tissue - Sca-1+ progenitor cells - Smooth muscle cells progenitors - PDGFRα+ cells	- Mainly Myf5-positive cells
LIPID DROPLET	Unilocular	Multilocular	Multilocular
NUCLEUS	Periferic	Middle	Middle
MITOCHONDRIA	Low	Low to High	High
function	Lipid/Energy storage	Thermogenesis (dependent on the stimuli)	Thermogenesis and Autocrine, Paracrine, Endocrine roles
human localization	Subcutaneous, intraabdominal	Cervical, parasternal, supraclavicular, para- and prevertebral	Interscapulum, supraclavicular, cervical, parasternal, para- and prevertebral, omental, axillary, kidneys
rodents localization	Inguinal subcutaneous, epididymal, Intraabdominal, epicardium	Subcutaneous axillar and inguinal, epicardium	Interscapulum, perivascular
cardiovascular disease	Positive related	Negative related	Negative related