A major determinant of species survival is the capacity to warrant continous energy availability in spite of highly variable environmental supplies. Therefore, mammals developed the ability to efficiently store excess energy as triacylglycerols in adipocytes, from which stored energy can be quickly released for use where needed. The orchestration of the processes of energy storage and release relies on highly integrated systems operating on several physiological levels. In addition, the adipocyte is no longer considered a passive bystander as adipose tissue actively secretes a large number of substances collectively termed as adipokines which include cytokines, hormones, growth factors, vasoactive peptides, enzymes and metabolites such as TNF-alpha, IL-6, leptin, and adiponectin, among others, which influence peripheral fuel storage, mobilization and combustion, as well as energy homeostasis in addition to other quite diverse biological processes. Thus, the existence of a network of adipose tissue signaling pathways, represents a metabolic repertoire which enables the organism to adapt to a wide range of different metabolic challenges such as starvation, stress, infection as well as short periods of gross energy excess.