Practice questions

CHAPTER 14 HOMEOSTASIS

1.

Diabetes is a disorder that leads to an increase in blood glucose concentration.

There are two major types of diabetes: type I and type II.
In type I diabetes there is a deficiency of insulin.
Type II diabetes most often occurs in people who are over 40 and overweight. Some
type II diabetics secrete low amounts of insulin but others have a sufficient amount of
insulin in the blood. For these people, diabetes arises because target cells become
less responsive to insulin.
(a)

Describe how blood glucose concentration is controlled by hormones in an

individual who is not affected by diabetes.
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(b)

Diet and exercise can maintain low glucose concentrations in the blood of
type II diabetics. Explain how this can be done.
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Total 9 marks

2.

Diabetes affects the ability to control blood glucose concentration. One type of
diabetes is due to an abnormality of the insulin receptors in the cell surface
membranes of cells in the liver and muscles.

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(a)

Explain why the abnormal insulin receptors might be ineffective.

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(b)

Explain how the presence of abnormal insulin receptors results in a high

blood glucose concentration.
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Total 4 marks

3.

The following table shows the concentrations of glucose and insulin in the blood
plasma of a healthy person before and after a meal.

(a)

Time after eating

meal/minutes

Concentration of
glucose in blood
plasma/
3
mg 100 cm

Concentration of insulin
in
blood plasma/
arbitrary units

0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45

72
78
86
96
100
98
91
93
87
82

16
16
25
32
41
46
49
43
38
30

Insulin controls the concentration of blood glucose by negative feedback. Use

information from the table to explain how.
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(b)

A glucose tolerance test is carried out on a person who is suspected of

suffering from diabetes. The person is given a solution of glucose to drink.

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Blood samples are taken at regular intervals and the concentration of blood
glucose is measured.
(i)

To obtain reliable results, the test is carried out on the same person a
second time. Apart from drinking the same volume and same
concentration of glucose solution, suggest two other variables that
should be controlled to produce reliable results.
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................................................................................................ (2 marks)

(ii)

After a meal the blood plasma glucose concentration in a diabetic

rises rapidly; then it falls slowly even when there is no insulin present
in the blood plasma. Explain the reason for this fall.
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Total 5 marks

4.

The graph shows the blood glucose and glucagon concentrations in a healthy person
during and after eating a meal.
M eal
B lo o d g lu c o s e
c o n c e n tra tio n /
m g 1 0 0 c m 3

120

G lu c o s e

100
80

120
B lo o d g lu c a g o n 1 1 0
c o n c e n tra tio n /
a rb itra ty u n its 1 0 0

G lu c a g o n

90

(a)

Explain the changes

O nthat
e occur
M eina l the glucagon concentration.
T w o h o u rs

hour
b e g in s
a fte r m e a l
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b e fo re
m eal
........................................................................................................... (2 marks)

(b)

Explain how the information shown in the graph provides an example of

negative feedback.

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............................................................................................................................
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Total 4 marks
5.

Describe the role of the liver in the metabolism of proteins.

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Total 5 marks
TOTAL MARKS FOR EXAM: 27

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Collins Advanced Science Biology