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Comment on I just heard about Brazilian Butt Lifts which is a procedure where they take fat deposits from somewhere on your body and place it in your butt?

andrewrgross@slrpnk.net ⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

Hi. I’m not a doctor, but I can opine as a biologist.

The transplanted cells have blood vessels, because all cells need a supply of oxygen to avoid expiring. If they didn’t have a supply of blood, they’d quickly turn necrotic.

When you deplete your short term energy stores, the body converts fat molecules within fat cells into sugar, then shuttles those through the body in the blood stream.

The body doesn’t draw on fat stores within the body in a totally even way, so I don’t know how quickly it would draw from the transplanted cells, but it works presumably still burn fat from these cells when needed.

And the reverse is true as well: when excess sugar is available, the body would generate new fat molecules to fill those cells, and if necessary make new fat cells as well.

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dependencyinjection@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
Thanks.

I feel a little stupid now, as it’s obvious that it would die if it didn’t have a blood supply.

So when they’re transplanted they’re going to connect some blood vessels. I am not understanding how the cells are still able to know when to turn fat into glucose, but again I’ll assume it’s done through the blood with an enzyme or something.

I think you’ve answered the main question though showing it can use those stores. Much appreciated.

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- Beryl@lemmy.world ⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  When fat is used, it’s usually not turned into glucose, but rather into fatty acids, that can then be used by the mitochondria to power the cells. The signaling that triggers this is in fact done by a bunch of hormones that do indeed circulate in the blood to reach the cells specialized in storing fat, called adipocytes.
  
  Depending of what triggers the transformation of fat into fatty acids( a process called lipolysis), those hormones could be insulin, epinephrin, growth hormone, etc.
  
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  - captainjaneway@lemmy.world ⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    What about ketosis? Are ketones a legit way to remove fat?
    
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    Lemminary@lemmy.world ⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
    Yes, ketone bodies are the result of the beta-oxydation of triglycerides. It’s the way the body breaks down fat into molecules that it can either burn or tranform into other molecules like sugar. The Atkins and ketogenic diets are legit, but it can be risky and you can harm your body (like your kidneys) without professional guidance.
    
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partial_accumen@lemmy.world ⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
I very much appreciate you were doing an ELI5 answer for this, so forgive my if I’m dissecting this too closely.

When you deplete your short term energy stores, the body converts fat molecules within fat cells into sugar, then shuttles those through the body in the blood stream.

Your body uses up all sugar in the blood (glucose), then exhausts short term energy stores including Glycogen in your muscles and liver next. At that point (given enough time and no re-introduction of glucose from eating), doesn’t your body go into Ketosis? So your liver would be taking fat from your body and converting it to Ketones to power your brain and body. I didn’t think Ketones were a sugar.

Alternatively, if you don’t burn through all your body’s glucose, your body can use some glucose and some fat to produce energy when operating with enough oxygen (aerobic).

Do I have that right?

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- Lemminary@lemmy.world ⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  
  doesn’t your body go into Ketosis?
  
  Yes, ketosis happens within a few days of limiting sugar intake.
  
  I didn’t think Ketones were a sugar.
  
  You’re right, they’re very different molecules. Ketone bodies can be converted into sugars by the enzymes in the liver if your body needs them, but they’re not sugars themselves.
  
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- andrewrgross@slrpnk.net ⁨7⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago
  Honestly, I don’t recall the details. What I shared was my best recollection. I think what you said sounds reasonable, but I can’t reliably say.
  
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