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People with diabetes cannot always control the concentration of glucose in their blood - Edexcel - GCSE Biology - Question 2 - 2023 - Paper 2
Question 2
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 - Question 2 - 2023 - Paper 2
Step 1
Calculate the maximum increase in the concentration of glucose in the blood of the person with diabetes.
Answer
To determine the maximum increase in glucose concentration, we analyze the graph in Figure 4. The concentration of glucose in the blood of the person with diabetes reaches a maximum of 18 mmol per dm³, starting from a baseline of 9 mmol per dm³ after eating. Therefore, the maximum increase can be calculated as follows:
Step 2
Water moved out of the red blood cells of the person with diabetes when the concentration of glucose in the blood was above 15 mmol per dm³.
Answer
Water moves out of the red blood cells by osmosis because the concentration of glucose in the blood plasma is higher than that inside the red blood cells. When the extracellular fluid (blood plasma) has a higher solute concentration (due to high glucose levels), water moves from an area of lower solute concentration (inside the cell) to an area of higher solute concentration (outside the cell) across a partially permeable membrane. This results in the shrinkage of the red blood cells.