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
ketone body in American English
any of three related compounds, including acetone, found in the blood and urine whenthere is excessive oxidation of fatty acids by the liver, as during starvation or pregnancy, or in diabetes