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The table below shows the mean levels of glucose and insulin in two groups of people sampled one hour after the ingestion of 75 g of glucose - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 5 - 2003 - Paper 1
Question 5
The table below shows the mean levels of glucose and insulin in two groups of people sampled one hour after the ingestion of 75 g of glucose. One of the experimental... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The table below shows the mean levels of glucose and insulin in two groups of people sampled one hour after the ingestion of 75 g of glucose - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 5 - 2003 - Paper 1
Step 1
What is the purpose of the control group?
Answer
The purpose of the control group is to provide a baseline for comparison with the experimental group. It allows researchers to evaluate the effect of the treatment by showing how the experimental group responds in relation to a group that does not receive the intervention.
Step 2
Using the above data, give two reasons to explain which group (X or Y) included the people with diabetes.
Answer
Group X
Reason 1: The plasma glucose level in Group X increased significantly at 60 minutes (from 5.3 to 13.0 mmol/L), which suggests that the insulin response was not sufficient to regulate glucose levels effectively, indicating possible insulin resistance typical in diabetes.
Reason 2: The plasma insulin level in Group X remained lower (68 mmol/L) compared to Group Y (380 mmol/L), suggesting that the body in Group X was not producing enough insulin in response to the glucose ingestion, a characteristic often seen in individuals with diabetes.