Description
The subcutaneous tissue, together with the skin, covering the pubic symphysis and pubic bone forms the mons pubis. After puberty, the mons pubis develops course hair and becomes more notable and round and contains abundant adipose tissue. The skin and subcutaneous tissue of mons pubis helps protect and cushion the pubic region.
In general, the subcutaneous tissue is composed of loose connective tissue containing adipose tissue. It is found just underneath the dermis, as opposed to the visceral fat which lies within the peritoneal cavity. The amount of adipose tissue depends on various aspects, such as the location in the body, sex of the individual, and the nutrition of the individual. There is no adipose tissue in the subcutaneous portions of the eyelids, clitoris, or penis. The subcutaneous tissue contains an extensive network of blood vessels. These are important for the rapid uptake of drugs delivered by hypodermal injections, such as insulin (Ross and Pawlina, 2006).
References
Ross, M. H. and Pawlina, W. (2006) Histology: A text and atlas. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
