AQA GCSE Combined Science Foundation (8464), Foundation tier · Biology › Homeostasis and response › Hormonal coordination in humans
Practise Control of blood glucose concentration. 5 exam-style questions plus unlimited generated ones on this subtopic, at up to four difficulty levels, with full mark schemes and a progress tracker. Free, no account needed.
How the pancreas uses insulin to keep blood glucose within narrow limits, and the causes and treatments of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Expect graph questions on glucose levels after a meal and 'compare Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes' questions.
Key facts
The pancreas monitors and controls blood glucose
Glucose too high → insulin → glucose moves into cells → stored as glycogen in liver and muscle cells
Type 1: pancreas makes too little insulin → insulin injections
Type 2: cells no longer respond to insulin → carbohydrate-controlled diet and exercise
Obesity is a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes
Glucose = the sugar; glycogen = the store
Notes
Insulin
Blood glucose concentration is monitored and controlled by the pancreas.
If blood glucose is too high (e.g. after a meal), the pancreas releases the hormone insulin into the blood.
Insulin causes glucose to move from the blood into the cells.
In liver and muscle cells, excess glucose is converted into glycogen for storage. Blood glucose falls back to normal.
Diabetes
diagram
Type 1 diabetes: the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin, so blood glucose is uncontrolled and can rise to dangerously high levels. It is normally treated with insulin injections.
Type 2 diabetes: the body cells no longer respond to the insulin produced by the pancreas. Common treatments are a carbohydrate-controlled diet and an exercise regime.
Without enough insulin, blood glucose rises higher and stays high.
Obesity is a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes.
People with Type 1 diabetes test their blood glucose so they can match the insulin dose to what they eat and how active they are.
How to answer each type of question
Describe how blood glucose returns to normal after a meal
3 marksGrade 5
The pancreas detects the high glucose level and releases insulin.
Insulin makes glucose move from the blood into cells.
Liver and muscle cells convert excess glucose to glycogen.
Example. After a meal, a person's blood glucose concentration increases. Describe how the body brings the blood glucose concentration back to normal.
Show the model answerHide the model answer
The pancreas detects the high blood glucose concentration and releases insulin (1). Insulin causes glucose to move from the blood into cells (1). In liver and muscle cells, excess glucose is converted to glycogen for storage (1).
Compare Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes
2 to 4 marksGrade 5
Give the cause of each type, linked with 'whereas'.
Give the treatment of each type, linked with 'whereas'.
Example. Compare the causes and treatments of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
Show the model answerHide the model answer
In Type 1 the pancreas does not produce enough insulin (1), whereas in Type 2 the body cells no longer respond to insulin (1). Type 1 is treated with insulin injections (1), whereas Type 2 is usually treated with a carbohydrate-controlled diet and exercise (1).
Don’t lose marks
Saying insulin turns glucose into glycogen in the blood. Insulin makes glucose move into cells; the conversion happens in liver and muscle cells.
Saying people with Type 2 diabetes make no insulin. They do make it; their cells no longer respond to it.
Dividing by the final value instead of the starting value in percentage change calculations.
Describing a graph without quoting any values from it.
More tips
Memory tricks
Insulin puts glucose IN to cells.
Type 1: the pancreas is the problem. Type 2: the cells are the problem.
Exam technique
When describing graphs, quote values with units and times, e.g. 'rises to a peak of 8 mmol/dm3 at 30 minutes'.
What each grade needs
What you need to be able to do, from the first marks up to the top grade.
Grade 3
Name the organ that controls blood glucoseThe pancreas monitors and controls blood glucose concentration.
Grade 4
Describe how insulin lowers blood glucoseInsulin makes glucose move from the blood into cells; liver and muscle cells store it as glycogen.
Grade 5
Compare the causes of Type 1 and 2Type 1: the pancreas does not make enough insulin. Type 2: body cells stop responding to insulin.
Grade 5
Describe treatments for each type of diabetesType 1: insulin injections. Type 2: a carbohydrate-controlled diet and an exercise regime.
Quick recall
Cover the answers and test yourself. The app has these as flashcards that come back just before you'd forget them.
Name the hormone that is released when the blood glucose concentration is too high.
Insulin
Which type of diabetes is caused by the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin?
Type 1 diabetes
Sample questions
Written for this site in the style of AQA exam questions. They are not taken from real past papers.
Question 1Easy6 marks
The concentration of glucose in the blood is controlled by hormones.
(a) Which organ monitors and controls the blood glucose concentration? Tick (✓) one box.[1]
Kidney
Liver
Pancreas
Pituitary gland
(b) Name the hormone that is released when the blood glucose concentration is too high.[1]
(c) In liver and muscle cells, excess glucose is converted into a storage substance. Name this storage substance.[1]
(d) Type 1 diabetes is normally treated with insulin injections. What is the cause of Type 1 diabetes?[1]
(e) Which two are common treatments for Type 2 diabetes? Tick (✓) two boxes.[2]
A carbohydrate-controlled diet
A course of antibiotics
An exercise programme
A kidney transplant
A vaccination
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: Pancreas
(b)Answer: Insulin
insulin
(c)Answer: Glycogen
glycogen
(d)Answer: The pancreas does not produce enough insulin
the pancreas does not produce (enough) insulin
(e)Answer: A carbohydrate-controlled diet; An exercise programme
Question 2Medium8 marks
Two people each had a drink containing 75 g of glucose. Person A does not have diabetes. Person B has Type 1 diabetes and did not inject any insulin during the test. {fig} shows the blood glucose concentrations of both people. The solid line is person A and the dashed line is person B.
[object Object]
(a) Describe how the blood glucose concentration of person A changed between 0 and 120 minutes.[2]
(b) Explain why the blood glucose concentration of person A decreased after 30 minutes.[3]
(c) Use {fig} to give two differences between the results for person B and the results for person A.[2]
(d) What should person B do to reduce their blood glucose concentration?[1]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: It rose to a peak of 140 mg per 100 cm³ at 30 minutes, then fell back to 85 mg per 100 cm³ by 120 minutes
increased to a maximum / peak at 30 minutes / of 140 (mg per 100 cm³)
then decreased back to the starting value / to 85 (mg per 100 cm³) (by 120 minutes)
(b)Answer: The pancreas detected the high glucose concentration and released insulin; insulin caused glucose to move from the blood into cells, where it was stored as glycogen in liver and muscle cells
pancreas detects the high blood glucose concentration
(pancreas) releases / secretes insulin (into the blood)
(insulin) causes glucose to move from the blood into (body) cells
(in liver and muscle cells) glucose is converted to glycogen (for storage)
(c)Answer: B starts at a higher concentration; B’s concentration rises higher and peaks later; B’s concentration does not return to its starting value within 180 minutes
person B’s concentration was higher at the start
person B’s peak was higher / reached 280 compared with 140 (mg per 100 cm³)
person B’s peak was later / at 90 minutes compared with 30 minutes
person B’s concentration fell more slowly / did not return to the starting value