Which ketone body produced by hepatic ketogenesis is chemically a beta-hydroxy acid rather than a true ketone?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Beta-hydroxybutyrate (3-hydroxybutyrate)
The three ketone bodies synthesized in the liver during prolonged starvation or untreated diabetes are acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and acetone. Beta-hydroxybutyrate possesses a secondary hydroxyl group (-OH) rather than a carbonyl group (C=O); thus, strictly speaking chemically, it is a carboxylic acid rather than a ketone, though it is categorized as a ketone body medically.
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