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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 find the maximum increase in the concentration of glucose, we look at the graph in Figure 4. The maximum level of glucose concentration for the person with diabetes is 18 mmol per dm³, and the minimum level before the meal starts is 9 mmol per dm³. Therefore, the maximum increase is calculated as follows:
Thus, the maximum increase in glucose 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 by osmosis, which occurs because the concentration of glucose in the blood plasma is higher than that inside the red blood cells.
- Water moves out by osmosis due to the high concentration of glucose in the blood, causing a lower water potential inside the cells.
- Water travels across a partially permeable membrane from an area of high water potential (inside the cell) to an area of low water potential (in the blood).
Thus, this process results in the loss of water from the red blood cells.