Step 1: What are ketone bodies?
Ketone bodies are acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and acetone. They are water-soluble alternative fuel sources produced during conditions of low carbohydrate availability, such as starvation or diabetic ketoacidosis.
Step 2: Where are they made?
Ketone bodies are synthesised exclusively in the liver, specifically in the mitochondria of liver cells (hepatocytes). The process is called ketogenesis. It uses acetyl-CoA derived from fatty acid beta-oxidation.
Step 3: Why not other tissues?
Adipose tissue breaks down fat (lipolysis) and releases free fatty acids into the blood, but it cannot make ketone bodies. The brain and muscles can use ketone bodies as fuel but cannot produce them.
Step 4: The logic.
The liver has the enzyme HMG-CoA synthase and HMG-CoA lyase needed for ketone body synthesis. Other tissues lack these enzymes or lack the necessary acetyl-CoA surplus.
Step 5: Conclude.
The liver is the sole organ responsible for synthesising ketone bodies.
Answer: Option (1) — Liver