In vertebrate animals,brown fat tissue's color is derived from abundant blood vessels and capillaries.White fat tissue,on the other hand,is specialized for fat storage and contains relatively few blood vessels or capillaries.Brown fat cells produce the protein thermogenin,which is an ion channel that facilitates diffusion of protons across the membrane.Which of the following statements might best describe the function of the brown fat tissue?
A)to increase the rate of oxidative phosphorylation from its few mitochondria
B)to increase the metabolic rate when it is especially hot
C)to increase the rate of ATP production
D)to regulate temperature by converting most of the energy from the mitochondrial proton gradient to heat

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Brown fat tissue's function is to regulate temperature by converting most of the energy from the mitochondrial proton gradient to heat. This is done through the action of thermogenin which facilitates the diffusion of protons across the membrane, leading to the production of heat instead of ATP. Therefore, option D is the correct choice. Option A is incorrect because although brown fat has few mitochondria, they are highly specialized for thermogenesis, not oxidative phosphorylation. Option B is incorrect because brown fat is specialized for heat generation and not related to ambient temperature. Option C is incorrect because the role of brown fat is to produce heat and not ATP.

In Vertebrate Animals,brown Fat Tissue's Color Is Derived from Abundant