Failure of hepatic urea cycle leads to which condition?

• A. Hypoglycemia
• B. Jaundice
• C. Seizures due to hyponatremia
• D. Hyperammonemia

Answer: (D)

The key idea is that the urea cycle in the liver detoxifies ammonia by converting it into urea for excretion. When this cycle fails, ammonia cannot be disposed of efficiently, causing hyperammonemia. Ammonia is highly neurotoxic and disrupts brain function, leading to symptoms ranging from vomiting and confusion to seizures and coma. So the dangerous consequence of hepatic urea cycle failure is elevated ammonia in the blood.

Other choices don’t fit as directly: jaundice indicates bilirubin buildup from liver injury, not specifically a block in ammonia disposal; hypoglycemia points to impaired glucose production rather than a failure of ammonia processing; seizures can occur for many reasons, but in this context they arise from the toxic effects of excess ammonia, not from hyponatremia.