What is the meaning of ketone body in the novel?

Ketones in the novel are the intermediate products of fatty acids oxidative decomposition in the liver, namely acetoacetic acid, β -hydroxybutyric acid and acetone, rather than the decomposition products of glucose. The liver has a strong enzyme system for synthesizing ketone bodies, but it lacks an enzyme system for utilizing ketone bodies.

Ketosomes are synthesized in mitochondria of hepatocytes. The synthetic raw material is acetyl coenzyme A produced by β -oxidation of fatty acids. There are many enzymes in mitochondria of liver cells that synthesize ketone bodies, especially HMG-CoA synthase, and the reaction catalyzed by this enzyme is the rate-limiting step of ketone bodies.