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Two people eat identical meals - Edexcel - GCSE Biology - Question 2 - 2023 - Paper 2
Question 2
Two people eat identical meals. One person has diabetes, the other person does not have diabetes. Figure 4 shows the concentration of glucose in the blood of these... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Two people eat identical meals - 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 calculate the maximum increase in glucose concentration for the person with diabetes, observe the graph provided in Figure 4.
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Identify the peak glucose concentration for the person with diabetes, which is approximately 18 mmol per dm³.
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Determine the baseline glucose concentration just before the meal, which is approximately 9 mmol per dm³.
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Subtract the baseline concentration from the peak concentration:
Thus, the maximum increase in concentration is 9 mmol per dm³.
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 of the person with diabetes due to osmosis. This process occurs because:
- The concentration of glucose is higher in the blood plasma than in the red blood cells.
- This creates a situation where the water potential is lower inside the red blood cells compared to the outside environment (plasma). Therefore, water moves out of the cells through a partially permeable membrane to equilibrate the concentration, leading to dehydration of the cells.