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Ketone Bodies definitions

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  • Ketone Bodies
    Three small molecules produced in the liver from acetyl CoA, serving as alternative energy sources during low glucose availability.
  • Acetone
    A volatile, neutral molecule with a central carbonyl group, formed by decarboxylation of acetoacetate during ketogenesis.
  • Acetoacetate
    A carboxylate anion and the first ketone body formed in ketogenesis, serving as a precursor for other ketone bodies.
  • 3-Hydroxybutyrate
    A reduced form of acetoacetate containing a hydroxyl group on the third carbon, acting as a major circulating ketone body.
  • Acetyl CoA
    A two-carbon molecule derived from fatty acid oxidation, serving as the substrate for ketone body synthesis in the liver.
  • Beta Oxidation
    A mitochondrial process breaking down fatty acids to generate acetyl CoA, especially active during fasting or low carbohydrate intake.
  • Ketogenesis
    A metabolic pathway in the liver converting excess acetyl CoA into ketone bodies during carbohydrate scarcity.
  • Citric Acid Cycle
    A mitochondrial pathway where acetyl CoA is oxidized for energy, which slows when oxaloacetate is depleted during fasting.
  • Oxaloacetate
    A four-carbon intermediate in the citric acid cycle, required for acetyl CoA entry and depleted during gluconeogenesis.
  • Ketoacidosis
    A dangerous condition where excess acidic ketone bodies lower blood pH, most commonly seen in uncontrolled diabetes.
  • Ketosis
    A metabolic state marked by elevated ketone bodies in blood and urine, occurring during prolonged fasting or carbohydrate restriction.
  • Mitochondrial Matrix
    The compartment within mitochondria where beta oxidation and ketogenesis take place.
  • NADH
    A reducing agent that donates electrons during the conversion of acetoacetate to 3-hydroxybutyrate in ketogenesis.
  • Hydrolysis
    A chemical reaction using water to cleave bonds, such as the conversion of acetoacetyl CoA to acetoacetate.
  • Decarboxylation
    A reaction removing a carboxyl group as carbon dioxide, as seen in the formation of acetone from acetoacetate.