What is the fate of excess acetyl-CoA in the liver during prolonged fasting or in uncontrolled diabetes?
Explanation
During prolonged fasting, the liver's metabolic priority shifts. Because the citric acid cycle is slowed by the depletion of oxaloacetate for gluconeogenesis, the acetyl-CoA generated from fatty acid oxidation is diverted into the synthesis of ketone bodies, which serve as an alternative fuel for the brain and other tissues.
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