This exam focus covers Exam Focus within Glucose Regulation for GCSE Biology. Topic 6: Glucose Regulation It is section 13 of 15 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.
Topic position
Section 13 of 15
Practice
15 questions
Recall
20 flashcards
Exam Focus
Exam FavouriteGlucose regulation appears in 3 out of 5 recent AQA Paper 2 exams, earning 4–8 marks. Extended response questions comparing insulin and glucagon, or comparing Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, are the most common formats.
How it is tested:
- Describe the insulin mechanism: High glucose → beta cells secrete insulin → liver/muscle cells take up glucose → glycogenesis → glucose falls. Every step is a potential mark point.
- Compare Type 1 and Type 2: Cause, mechanism, and treatment — for both types. A 6-mark comparison question is a common format.
- Antagonistic hormones: "Explain why both insulin and glucagon are needed" — they have opposite effects, enabling two-way control within a narrow range.
- Higher tier: Alpha and beta cells; glycogenesis and glycogenolysis; HbA1c; detailed negative feedback loop with both hormones.
- Application: You may be given a blood glucose concentration graph and asked to identify when insulin was released, or to explain an abnormal pattern in a diabetic patient.