Person X decides to eliminate completely all carbohydrates from their diet, eating only proteins. How is glucose generated?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

First, let’s unpack the metabolic context: when carbohydrate intake is eliminated, glucose must be produced endogenously to meet essential needs. The body uses gluconeogenesis, the process that generates glucose from non-carbohydrate precursors.
Option 1 claims glucose is formed 'both from oxoloacetate and pyruvate through glycolysis.' This is misleading because glycolysis is the pathway that breaks down glucose to pyruvate, not a route to create glucose. Glucose synthesis does not occur via glycolysis; it’s the reverse of glycolysis.
Option 2 says 'only from oxoloacetate through gluconeogenesis.' While oxaloacetate is indeed a gluconeogenic substrate, relying on it alone ignores the fact that pyruvate is also a major gluconeogenic precursor. The body can convert pyruvate to oxaloacetate and then to phosphoenolpyruvate, among other steps; thus restricting to only oxaloacetate is incomplete.
Option 3 states 'only from pyruvate through gluconeogenesis.' Pyruvate is a key gluconeogenic substrate, but it is not the sole contributor. In many tissues, pyruvate is converted to oxaloacetate and can contribute to glucose production through multiple gluconeogenic routes. Excluding oxaloacetate as a substrate ignores part of the pathway.
Option 4 reads 'both from oxoloacetate and pyruvate through gluconeogenesis.' This aligns with the biochemistry of gluconeogenesis: both pyruvate and oxaloacetate are important substrates that feed into the gluconeogenic pathway, ultimately yielding glucose. It reflects the network of reactions where pyruvate can be carboxylated to oxaloacetate, and oxaloacetate can be used directly or converted further to phosphoenolpyruvate, among other steps, to end up as glucose.
In summary, while glucogenesis can draw from multiple substrates, the complete and accurate statement recognizes that both pyruvate and oxaloacetate serve as substrates in gluconeogenesis, making option 4 the best representation of glucose generation under carbohydrate deprivation.

Person X decides to eliminate completely all carbohydrates from their diet, eating only proteins. How is glucose generated?

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