So during prolonged starvation or diabetic ketoacidosis, you have low oxaloacetate because its being used for gluconeogenesis. Thus, you have a bunch of acetylcoa sitting around, so you make ketones instead. This ketogenesis occurs in the liver. During times of high energy requirements (or prolonged starvation or whatever), you have to break down fat, which gives you acetyl CoA (and NADH and FADH).
Is the liver basically like, "Sorry guys I would give you glucose buuuuut I'm running out of oxaloacetate and I have all this acetylCoA so here have ketones instead"?
Is the liver basically like, "Sorry guys I would give you glucose buuuuut I'm running out of oxaloacetate and I have all this acetylCoA so here have ketones instead"?