Exam Focus

Exam Focus

Appears in 3 out of 5 recent AQA Paper 2 sittings — this is a VERY HIGH priority topic. Earns 4–8 marks per appearance. Extended response questions are common.

Edexcel (1BI0/2): Blood glucose regulation is a high-priority topic on Edexcel Paper 2 (1BI0/2) within Topic 7. Edexcel questions frequently use a patient scenario — for example, a graph of blood glucose levels in a person with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes — and ask students to explain what the graph shows and why. "Suggest" questions about a diabetic patient's symptoms or treatment are common. Ensure you can distinguish Type 1 from Type 2 clearly: Type 1 = autoimmune destruction of beta cells, requires insulin injections; Type 2 = insulin resistance, managed with diet and exercise first.

Typical question types:

• "Describe the role of insulin in controlling blood glucose." (3 marks)
• "Explain how the body responds when blood glucose rises after a meal." (4 marks)
• "Compare Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in terms of cause, affected cells, and treatment." (4–6 marks)
• "Explain why exercise causes blood glucose to fall." (3 marks)
• Graph interpretation: given a blood glucose curve, identify the point of insulin release and explain what causes each feature.

What examiners look for at each level:

• 1–2 marks: Name insulin (lowers glucose) and glucagon (raises glucose); identify that the pancreas secretes them.
• 3–4 marks: Explain the negative feedback loop with both hormones — describe what triggers each hormone, where it acts, and the result. Link glucose → glycogen (insulin) and glycogen → glucose (glucagon).
• 5–6 marks: Link storage to glycogen in liver/muscle; name alpha cells (glucagon) and beta cells (insulin); explain both types of diabetes with their specific cause and treatment; show the loop completes (secretion drops once glucose returns to normal).

Common mistakes that lose marks:

• Confusing insulin and glucagon — insulin LOWERS blood glucose; glucagon RAISES it. Writing the wrong direction always loses marks.
• Forgetting to mention glycogen as the storage molecule — "glucose is stored" without naming glycogen is incomplete.
• Saying "Type 1 diabetes is caused by eating too much sugar" — it is an autoimmune condition; the immune system destroys beta cells. Diet does not cause Type 1.
• Not linking exercise to increased glucose uptake by muscle cells — exercise increases respiration in muscles, which uses up more glucose from the blood, lowering blood glucose concentration.
• Describing only insulin and ignoring glucagon (or vice versa) on comparison questions.