[1][additional citation(s) needed] Its cells contain a single large fat droplet, which forces the nucleus to be squeezed into a thin rim at the periphery.

It was previously thought that upon release of glucagon from the pancreas, glucagon receptors cause a phosphorylation cascade that activates hormone-sensitive lipase, causing the breakdown of the stored fat to fatty acids, which are exported into the blood and bound to albumin, and glycerol, which is exported into the blood freely.

[3] The trigger for this process in white adipose tissue is instead now thought to be adrenocorticotropic hormone,[4][5] adrenaline[6] and noradrenaline[citation needed].

White adipose tissue also acts as a thermal insulator, helping to maintain body temperature.

A hypothesis is that the precursors for the different types of adipocytes are mesenchymal stem cells which differentiates by the influence of specific gene expression into specialized white preadipocytes.

[8] The study of the gene expression is important as they can be indicative of various health issues such as obesity related risk factors including diabetes and metabolic conditions.