biology

Human fat

Human fat is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Human fat rather than just read about it. In short: Human fat was mentioned in European pharmacopoeias since the 16th century as an important fatty component of quality deemed ointments and other pharmaceuticals in Europe. In old recipes human adipose tissue was mentioned as Pinguedo hominis, or Axungia hominis.

Key takeaways

Human fat belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Human fat to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Human fat from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Human fat was mentioned in European pharmacopoeias since the 16th century as an important fatty component of quality deemed ointments and other pharmaceuticals in Europe. In old recipes human adipose tissue was mentioned as Pinguedo hominis, or Axungia hominis. The German medicinal Johann Agricola (1496–1570) described the recovery of human fat and its applications. In traditional medicine in Europe, human fat was believed to have a healing magic significance until the 19th century. Many executioners recovered the fat from the bodies of their executants, called "Armsünderfett" or "Armsünderschmalz" (German: fat or grease from poor sinners put to death), and sold it. For some executioners the marketing of human fat was a major source of revenue. The human fat was used to make ointments for treatment of various diseases such as bone pain, toothache and gout. It was also regarded as a panacea for particular diseases associated with cachexia (e.g. tuberculosis). Also an analgesic effect in rheumatoid arthritis was attributed to human fat. From the late 19th century, human fat was produced and offered under the trade name Humanol as a sterile, liquified preparation for injections in Germany. In 1909 it was introduced for surgical treatment of scars, wound disinfection, and wound revisions. In the 1920s it became out of fashion after low cure rates and the incidence of fat embolisms caused by its application. Until the 1960s various manufacturers offered alleged wrinkle creams for external use (Hormocenta of Hormocenta Cosmetic Böttger GmbH, or Placentubex C of Merz Pharmaceuticals) containing human fat from placentas collected from midwives and obstetric departments for industrial purposes. The use of human placentas was terminated in favour of animal products. In 2009, a group of Peruvian gangsters, nicknamed "pishtacos" by the police, was accused of having manufactured and marketed human fat. However, the Peruvian Ministry of the Interior later described these allegations as a hoax. In the 2010s, MTF Biologics started providing Renuva (human cadaver fat) in syringes of up to 3 cubic centimetres (0.18 cu in). In 2024, Tiger Aesthetics marketed alloClae in syringes of up to 22 cubic centimetres (1.3 cu in). These preparations are being used as cosmetic filler. The demand has risen since the popularization of GLP-1 drugs has left thinner patients that feel that they lost fat in places that do not look good. Doctors say that customers are not concerned by the origin of the fat. Donors may have not been clear about the commercial use of their remains. In 2024, the New York State Health Department have denied a license to alloClae over doubts about the compliance with tissue donation laws. There can be complications with cadaver fat injections. If the fat does not vascularize, it may necrose, as in fat grafting from the patient's own body, but there are no studies comparing both methods. Cultural critic Arabelle Sicardi have compared alloClae to 2024 film The Substance.

Myths

Both Spanish (sacamantecas) and Peruvian (pishtaco) folklore contain examples of monsters or criminals who murder human victims for their fat. Manuel Blanco Romasanta (1809–1863), the first serial killer documented in Spain, was accused of extracting fat from his victims to sell in Portugal, exchanging an ounce of fat for an ounce of gold. This folk belief survives to the modern day. In Latin American urban legends, it is claimed that human fat is used to grease bells for better sound, or applied to modern machinery such as railways or airplanes.

See also Adipocere – Waxy substance formed by anaerobic hydrolysis of fat Soap made from human corpses – Alleged Nazi atrocity

References

Illustrations

Human fat: Pishtacos in the Colonial era (top), 20th century (middle) and now (bottom). Peruvian retablo from Ayacucho. — Pishtacos in the Colonial era (top), 20th century (middle) and now (bottom). Peruvian retablo from Ayacucho.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Human fat

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Human fat claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Human fat before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Human fat ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Human fat

In research: Human fat appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Human fat in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Human fat is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Animal fat products, Connective tissue, Endocrine system, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Human fat outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Human fat in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Human fat means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Human fat out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Human fat in simple terms?

Why does Human fat matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Human fat?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Human fat.