What metabolic process involves the production of acetone, acetoacetate, and β-hydroxybutyrate in the liver?

The production of acetone, acetoacetate, and β-hydroxybutyrate in the liver is a key feature of ketogenesis. This metabolic process occurs primarily during states of fasting, prolonged exercise, or carbohydrate-restricted diets, where glucose availability is low, and the body needs an alternative energy source.

In ketogenesis, fatty acids are mobilized from adipose tissue and transported to the liver, where they undergo β-oxidation to form acetyl-CoA. When the concentration of acetyl-CoA exceeds the rate at which it enters the citric acid cycle (due to low oxaloacetate levels from reduced glucose metabolism), the liver converts acetyl-CoA into ketone bodies—specifically acetoacetate, which can then be converted into β-hydroxybutyrate or spontaneously converted into acetone. These ketone bodies serve as an important source of energy for peripheral tissues, particularly during prolonged fasting or starvation.

In contrast, glycolysis refers to the breakdown of glucose to pyruvate and is not related to the production of ketone bodies. Fermentation is an anaerobic process that converts sugars to acids, gases, or alcohol, and does not produce the specific ketone bodies mentioned. β-