Question

An alcoholic who went on a weekend binge without eating any food was found to have severe hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia occurred because the metabolism of ethanol prevented the production of blood glucose from which one of the following? Choose the one best answer. (A) Glycogen (B) Lactate (C) Glycerol (D) Oxaloacetate (E) Lactate, glycerol, and oxaloacetate

Answer 1

Hypoglycemia occurred because the metabolism of ethanol prevented the production of blood glucose from (A) Glycogen.

Step-by-step explanation:

In this scenario, the alcoholic's weekend binge on ethanol (alcohol) hindered the normal metabolic pathways that lead to the production of glucose. Ethanol metabolism consumes NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), causing a shift in hepatic metabolism. This shift inhibits gluconeogenesis, the process by which glucose is synthesized from non-carbohydrate sources.

Among the options provided, glycogen is the primary source for gluconeogenesis. Ethanol metabolism limits the conversion of glycogen into glucose, leading to a deficiency in blood glucose levels, resulting in severe hypoglycemia.

Option (A) Glycogen is the answer.