--- title: "Ketone body formation Template – Chemistry Diagram | MolDraw" url: https://www.moldraw.com/templates/biopath-ketone-bodies/ description: "Ketone body formation template: 2 acetyl-CoA → acetoacetyl-CoA (thiolase) → (S)-HMG-CoA (mitochondrial HMG-CoA synthase) → acetoacetate + acetyl-CoA (HMG-CoA…" lang: en publisher: Scidart Academy generated: 2026-11-13 --- [MolDraw](https://www.moldraw.com/) › [Templates](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/) › [Biochemistry](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/biochemistry/) › Ketone body formation [Biochemistry](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/biochemistry/)Premium # Ketone body formation template ![Ketone body formation template: 2 acetyl-CoA → acetoacetyl-CoA (thiolase) → (S)-HMG-CoA (mitochondrial HMG-CoA synthase) → acetoacetate + acetyl-CoA (HMG-CoA lyase) → D-β-hydroxybutyrate (NADH) or acetone (spontaneous decarboxylation).](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/biopath-ketone-bodies.webp) [Edit in MolDraw](https://www.moldraw.com/)Download with Pro Premium template. Preview and edit it free in MolDraw; downloading and exporting it is part of [MolDraw Pro](https://www.moldraw.com/pricing). 2 acetyl-CoA → acetoacetyl-CoA (thiolase) → (S)-HMG-CoA (mitochondrial HMG-CoA synthase) → acetoacetate + acetyl-CoA (HMG-CoA lyase) → D-β-hydroxybutyrate (NADH) or acetone (spontaneous decarboxylation). ## What the template shows - In fasting or diabetes, liver mitochondria turn excess acetyl-CoA into acetoacetate, D-β-hydroxybutyrate and acetone - Ketogenesis (liver mitochondrial matrix) - acetyl-CoA (×2) - acetoacetyl-CoA - (S)-HMG-CoA - Acetone: spontaneous decarboxylation of acetoacetate - Volatile and not used for fuel: breathed out (fruity breath in ketoacidosis) - Trigger: in fasting, low insulin and high glucagon send oxaloacetate into gluconeogenesis, so acetyl-CoA from β-oxidation cannot enter the citric acid cycle and builds up. - Mitochondrial HMG-CoA synthase is the control point; the same reaction in the cytosol (cytosolic isozyme) starts cholesterol synthesis. - Heart, muscle and (after days of fasting) brain burn acetoacetate: succinyl-CoA:3-ketoacid CoA transferase makes acetoacetyl-CoA. The liver lacks this enzyme, so it exports ketone bodies. - In type 1 diabetes, ketone bodies can exceed buffering: ketoacidosis. D-β-hydroxybutyrate is (R)-3-hydroxybutanoate; acids are drawn neutral. Drawn with 50 atoms, 5 arrows, 2 shapes – every one editable in MolDraw. ## Sources - [Nelson & Cox, Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry, 8th ed., 2021, ch. 17](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781319228002) Textbook - [Berg, Tymoczko, Gatto & Stryer, Biochemistry, 9th ed., 2019](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781319114657) Textbook - [Voet & Voet, Biochemistry, 4th ed., Wiley 2011](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780470570951) Textbook ## How to use this template 1. Press **Edit in MolDraw**. The template opens on the canvas of the free MolDraw editor. 2. Change anything: move structures, edit atoms and labels, recolour highlights or delete what you do not need. 3. Add your own structures, arrows and text next to it, or combine several templates on one page. 4. Export the drawing as PNG, SVG or PDF for slides, worksheets, theses and papers. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is the Ketone body formation template free? You can preview the Ketone body formation template here and open and edit it in MolDraw for free. Downloading or exporting it is part of MolDraw Pro, together with the other premium templates. ### Can I edit the Ketone body formation template? Yes. It opens as an ordinary MolDraw drawing, so every structure, arrow, label and colour can be changed, and you can add your own content around it. ### Is the chemistry checked? Every structure is checked with RDKit and every curly arrow passes MolDraw’s electron-flow audit. The sources used are listed on this page. ### Are the biochemical pathways drawn with structures? Yes. 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