Control of Blood Glucose PhysicsAndMathsTutor.

com

Q1.Scientists investigated the control of blood glucose concentration in mice. They kept a group
of normal mice without food for 48 hours. After 48 hours, the blood glucose concentrations
of the mice were the same as at the start of the experiment.

(a) Explain how the normal mice prevented their blood glucose concentration falling
when they had not eaten for 48 hours.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

[Extra space] ................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(3)

The scientists then investigated mice with a mutation that prevents their liver cells
making glucose. They kept a group of these mice without food for 48 hours. After 48
hours, the mean blood glucose concentrations of the mutant mice and the normal
mice were the same.

The scientists investigated how blood glucose concentration is controlled in these

mutant mice. An enzyme required for synthesis of glucose is coded for by a gene
called PCK1. The scientists measured the mean amount of mRNA produced from
this gene in cells from the kidneys and intestines of normal mice and mutant mice.
They did this with mice that had previously been without food for 48 hours.

The scientists’ results are shown in the graph.

Page 2
Control of Blood Glucose PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com

(b) Use information from the graph to suggest how blood glucose concentration is
controlled in the mutant mice, compared with the normal mice.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

[Extra space] ................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(3)

(c) The scientists performed statistical tests on the data shown in the graph, to see
whether the differences in the amount of mRNA in cells from normal and mutant
mice were significant. Both the probability values they obtained were p<0.01.

Explain what this means about the differences in the amounts of mRNA produced.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

Page 3
Control of Blood Glucose PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com

........................................................................................................................

[Extra space] ................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 8 marks)

Q2.Some mice have diabetes. The diabetes causes the blood glucose concentration to become
very high after a meal. Scientists investigated the use of an inhibitor of amylase to treat
diabetes.

The scientists took 30 mice with diabetes and divided them into two groups, A and B.

• Group A was given yoghurt without the inhibitor of amylase each day.
• Group B was given yoghurt with the inhibitor of amylase each day.

Apart from the yoghurt, all of the mice were given the same food each day.

The scientists measured the blood glucose concentration of each mouse, 1 hour after it
had eaten. This was done on days 1, 10 and 20 after the investigation started.

The following figure shows the scientists’ results.

Days after the investigation started

(a) Group A acted as a control in this investigation.

Explain the purpose of this group.

........................................................................................................................

Page 4
Control of Blood Glucose PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(2)

(b) Apart from the yoghurt, it was important that all of the mice were given the same
food each day.

Give two reasons why it was important that all of the mice were given the same food
each day.

1 .....................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

2 .....................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(2)

(c) The scientists’ hypothesis was that adding the inhibitor of amylase to the food would
lead to a lower blood glucose concentration.

Use your knowledge of digestion to suggest how the addition of the inhibitor could
lead to a lower blood glucose concentration.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(2)

(d) Give one reason why these results may not support the use of the inhibitor of
amylase to treat diabetes in mice.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

Page 5
Control of Blood Glucose PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com

(2)
(Total 8 marks)

Q3.(a) When insulin binds to receptors on liver cells, it leads to the formation of glycogen from
glucose. This lowers the concentration of glucose in liver cells.

Explain how the formation of glycogen in liver cells leads to a lowering of blood
glucose concentration.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(2)

People with type II diabetes have cells with low sensitivity to insulin. About 80% of people
with type II diabetes are overweight or obese. Some people who are obese have gastric
bypass surgery (GBS) to help them to lose weight.

Doctors investigated whether GBS affected sensitivity to insulin. They measured patients’
sensitivity to insulin before and after GBS. About half of the patients had type II diabetes.
The other half did not but were considered at high risk of developing the condition.

The table below shows the doctors’ results. The higher the number, the greater the
sensitivity to insulin.

Mean sensitivity to insulin /

arbitrary units
(± SD)
Patients
1 month after
Before gastric
gastric
bypass
bypass
surgery
surgery

Did not have 0.55 1.30

diabetes (± 0.32) (± 0.88)

Had type II 0.40 1.10

diabetes (± 0.24) (± 0.87)

(b) The doctors concluded that many of the patients who did not have type II diabetes

Page 6
Control of Blood Glucose PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com

were at high risk of developing the condition.

Use the data in the table to suggest why they reached this conclusion.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(2)

(c) The doctors also concluded that GBS cured many patients’ diabetes but that some
were not helped very much.

Do these data support this conclusion? Give reasons for your answer.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

(Extra space) .................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(3)
(Total 7 marks)

Q4.A glucometer is a device used to measure blood glucose concentration. A person uses a
test strip that goes into the glucometer. They put a drop of blood onto the test strip. There
are substances on the test strip that produce a colour change with glucose. The higher the
concentration of glucose, the deeper the colour produced. The glucometer measures the
depth of colour produced and converts this into a glucose concentration. A new test strip
is used for each blood test.

Figure – glucometer and test strip

Page 7
Control of Blood Glucose PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com

The following equations show how the substances on the test strip produce a colour
change.

Glucose + oxygen gluconic acid + hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide + dye with colour A dye with colour B + water

Non-diabetics have no glucose in their urine. Diabetics have glucose in their urine if their
blood glucose concentration rises above about 170 mg 100 cm–3.
Before the glucometer was available, diabetics used test strips to measure the
concentration of glucose in their urine as a means of measuring their blood glucose
concentration. When testing urine, the colour of the test strip is compared against a colour
chart which gives a glucose concentration range for the colour produced.

(a) Identify all the substances located at position X on the test strip before a drop of
blood is added.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(2)

(b) Before the glucometer was available, diabetics used test strips to measure the
concentration of glucose in their urine as a means of measuring their blood glucose
concentration.

Give two reasons why this method of testing urine would not give an accurate
measurement of blood glucose concentration.

1 .....................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

Page 8
Control of Blood Glucose PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com

2 .....................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 4 marks)

Q5.Resource A

A glucometer is a device used to measure blood glucose concentration. A person uses a

test strip that goes into the glucometer. They put a drop of blood onto the test strip. There
are substances on the test strip that produce a colour change with glucose. The higher the
concentration of glucose, the deeper the colour produced. The glucometer measures the
depth of colour produced and converts this into a glucose concentration. A new test strip
is used for each blood test.

Figure 1 – glucometer and test strip

The following equations show how the substances on the test strip produce a colour
change.

Glucose + oxygen gluconic acid + hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide + dye with colour A dye with colour B + water

Non-diabetics have no glucose in their urine. Diabetics have glucose in their urine if their
blood glucose concentration rises above about 170 mg 100 cm–3.
Before the glucometer was available, diabetics used test strips to measure the
concentration of glucose in their urine as a means of measuring their blood glucose
concentration. When testing urine, the colour of the test strip is compared against a colour
chart which gives a glucose concentration range for the colour produced.

Page 9
Control of Blood Glucose PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com

Resource B

There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2.

• People with type 1 diabetes do not produce enough insulin.

• People with type 2 diabetes do produce insulin but have cells which do not respond
to insulin.

Doctors use a glucose tolerance test to help diagnose people with diabetes. They start
each test after a person has not eaten overnight. They measure a person’s blood glucose
concentration.
The person then drinks a solution containing 75 g of glucose. The doctors measure the
person’s blood glucose concentration 2 hours later. During the test, the person remains at
rest.

Figure 1 shows three diagnoses that can be made from the results of the test.

Figure 2 – glucose tolerance test results and diagnoses

Blood glucose
concentration after 2 hours Diagnosis Comments
/ mg 100 cm–3

≤ 110 Non-diabetic Low risk for future diabetes

High risk for future diabetes.

Some doctors recommend that the
Between 140 and 200 Pre-diabetic
upper value should be lowered to
180 mg 100 cm–3

≥ 200 Diabetic Confirm by doing a second test

A researcher monitored the mean blood glucose concentration of a non-diabetic, a

pre-diabetic and a diabetic after they had each eaten a midday meal.

His results are shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3

Page 10
Control of Blood Glucose PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com

A laboratory worker suspected she had type 2 diabetes but did not have a glucometer.
Instead she added a drop of her blood to a test strip and used a colour chart to estimate
her blood glucose concentration as 140 mg 100 cm–3.

Is it valid to conclude that she did have type 2 diabetes?

Use this information, and Resource A and Resource B, to explain your answer.

.................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................

(Extra space) .........................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................
(Total 3 marks)

Page 11
Control of Blood Glucose PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com

Q6. (a) Adrenaline binds to receptors in the plasma membranes of liver cells. Explain
how this causes the blood glucose concentration to increase.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

(Extra space) .................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
(2)

(b) Scientists made an artificial gene which codes for insulin. They put the gene into a
virus which was then injected into rats with type I diabetes. The virus was harmless
to the rats but carried the gene into the cells of the rats.

The treated rats produced insulin for up to 8 months and showed no side-effects.
The scientists measured the blood glucose concentrations of the rats at regular
intervals. While the rats were producing the insulin, their blood glucose
concentrations were normal.

(i) The rats were not fed for at least 6 hours before their blood glucose
concentration was measured. Explain why.

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
(1)

(ii) The rats used in the investigation had type I diabetes. This form of gene
therapy may be less effective in treating rats that have type II diabetes.
Explain why.

...............................................................................................................

Page 12
Control of Blood Glucose PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
(1)

(iii) Research workers have suggested that treating diabetes in humans by this
method of gene therapy would be better than injecting insulin. Evaluate this
suggestion.

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

(Extra space) ........................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
(4)

(Total 8 marks)

Page 13
Control of Blood Glucose PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com

Q7. (a) Technicians in a hospital laboratory tested urine and blood samples from a girl
with diabetes at intervals over a one-year period. Each time the technicians tested
her urine, they also measured her blood glucose concentration. Their results are
shown in the graph.

(i) The girl who took part in this investigation was being successfully treated with
insulin. The graph shows that on some occasions, the concentration of
glucose in her blood was very high. Suggest why.

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................

Page 14
Control of Blood Glucose PhysicsAndMathsTutor.com

.............................................................................................................
(2)

(ii) Use the graph to evaluate the use of the urine test as a measure of blood
glucose concentration.

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................
(3)

(b) Diabetic people who do not control their blood glucose concentration may become
unconscious and go into a coma. A doctor may inject a diabetic person who is in a
coma with glucagon. Explain how the glucagon would affect the person’s blood
glucose concentration.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
(2)
(Total 7 marks)

Page 15