ketone body


nounBiochemistry.
  1. any of three compounds, acetoacetic acid, beta-hydroxybutyric acid, or acetone, that are intermediate in the metabolism of fatty acids and that are found in abnormal quantities in the blood and urine during certain pathological conditions, as diabetes mellitus.

Origin of ketone body

1
First recorded in 1910–15
  • Also called acetone body .

Words Nearby ketone body

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British Dictionary definitions for ketone body

ketone body

noun
  1. biochem any of three compounds (acetoacetic acid, 3-hydroxybutanoic acid, and acetone) produced when fatty acids are broken down in the liver to provide a source of energy. Excess ketone bodies are present in the blood and urine of people unable to use glucose as an energy source, as in diabetes and starvation: Also called: acetone body

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for ketone body

ketone body

  1. A ketone-containing substance that is an intermediate product of the metabolism of fatty acids. Ketone bodies tend to accumulate in the blood and urine of individuals affected by starvation or uncontrolled diabetes mellitus.

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