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People with diabetes cannot always control the concentration of glucose in their blood - Edexcel - GCSE Biology Combined Science - Question 1 - 2023 - Paper 2
Question 1
People with diabetes cannot always control the concentration of glucose in their blood. (a) Two people eat identical meals. One person has diabetes, the other pers... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:People with diabetes cannot always control the concentration of glucose in their blood - Edexcel - GCSE Biology Combined Science - Question 1 - 2023 - Paper 2
Step 1
Calculate the maximum increase in the concentration of glucose in the blood of the person with diabetes.
Answer
To calculate the maximum increase in glucose concentration, analyze Figure 1. The glucose level for the person with diabetes peaks at approximately 20 mmol per dm³ and starts at about 11 mmol per dm³ before the meal. Therefore, the maximum increase is calculated as:
The maximum increase in glucose concentration for the person with diabetes is 9 mmol per dm³.
Step 2
Explain why water moved out of the red blood cells of the person with diabetes.
Answer
Water moves out of the red blood cells via osmosis, which is the movement of water across a semi-permeable membrane.
This occurs because:
- The concentration of glucose in the blood (plasma) is higher than inside the red blood cells, creating a concentration gradient.
- As a result, water from the red blood cells moves into the blood to balance the concentration, leading to cell shrinkage.