Blood Sugar

This worksheet is designed to be completed alongside the lesson. The icons on the left tell you which pages of the lesson the questions relate to. All our cells get their energy from a steady supply of sugar in our blood. We need to control the level of sugar in our blood to stay healthy. When we eat we can take in huge quantities of sugar. When we exercise we can use huge amounts of sugar. In spite of this, our bodies manage to keep the level of sugar in our blood within a very narrow range. In this lesson you will investigate how we do this and what can go wrong. 1. a. How does Alices blood sugar level change as she starts eating? It increases b. How do you think sugar enters her blood as a result of eating? Sugar is absorbed from their intestines into their blood.

c.

How does her blood sugar level change as she starts to run? The blood sugar levels of in her body start to reduce

d.

Why does the level of sugar in her blood change in this way as she starts to exercise? Cells need to respire and energy is needed for respiration. The sugar provides the cells with that energy

2.

a.

Look at the diagram.

Which organs are involved in responding to changes in the level of sugar in Alices blood? The liver, muscles and pancreases

Copyright 2004 PLATO Learning (UK) Ltd. All rights reserved. Multimedia Science School range of software is distributed by RM under licence from PLATO Learning, Inc.

Blood Sugar

b.

Changes to the level of blood sugar stimulate the pancreas to secrete hormones. Which two hormones does the pancreas secrete to regulate blood sugar? Insulin and glucagon

3.

a.

Which hormone does the pancreas secrete as Alices blood sugar level rises? Insulin

b.

This hormone is carried in the liver and muscles in the blood. Describe how it helps to decrease the level of sugar in the blood. Insulin causes the persons liver and muscle cells to take up sugar and convert it to glycogen.

c.

The following seven statements are NOT in the right order. Copy them in the correct sequence. A person eats and digests food. Sugar is absorbed from their intestines into their blood. The persons blood sugar level rises. Their pancreas responds to a higher blood sugar level by secreting a hormone called insulin. Insulin is carried in the blood to the muscles and liver. Insulin causes the persons liver and muscle cells to take up sugar and convert it to glycogen. The persons blood sugar level falls.

d.

Suggest why the pancreas continues to secrete insulin after Alice stops eating. The body continues to respire and use sugar

4.

a.

Why does the blood sugar level fall as Alice starts to run? Cells need to respire and energy is needed for respiration. The sugar provides the cells with that energy

b.

Which hormone does the pancreas secrete as her blood sugar level falls?

Copyright 2004 PLATO Learning (UK) Ltd. All rights reserved. Multimedia Science School range of software is distributed by RM under licence from PLATO Learning, Inc.

Blood Sugar

c.

As a result, her blood sugar level rises again. Explain how this hormone helps to increase the level of sugar in the blood. The following eight statements are NOT in the right order. Copy them in the correct sequence. A person starts to run. Glucagon travels in the blood to the liver. Extra sugar is removed from the blood by the muscle cells to provide more energy. Glucagon causes their liver to convert glycogen to sugar. The sugar is released into the blood. The perons pancreas responds to the fall in their blood sugar level by secreting a hormone called glucagon. Their blood sugar level rises. Their blood sugar level falls.

d.

5.

When our blood sugar level is high our bodies convert the excess sugar to glycogen. Suggest two advantages of this. Copy the graph. On your graph indicate where Alice ate a snack, rested, ate a meal, ran and went for a walk. a. b. c. d. Which process does not occur in Toms body when he eats without injecting insulin? Does the process occur if he does inject insulin? From the graph describe what happens to Toms blood sugar level when he eats a meal without injecting insulin. Describe what happens to Toms blood sugar level when he eats a meal after injecting insulin. On the third run, which process does not occur in Toms body? Explain why. Describe what happens to his blood sugar level on the third run. Explain why this happens. Suggest what Tom could do in this situation? Give a reason for your answer.

3 4

6. 7.

8.

a. b. c.

9.

Explain why Toms blood sugar does not fall so much. In your answer use the words glycogen and store, and explain how

Copyright 2004 PLATO Learning (UK) Ltd. All rights reserved. Multimedia Science School range of software is distributed by RM under licence from PLATO Learning, Inc.

Blood Sugar

insulin has helped Tom.

Copyright 2004 PLATO Learning (UK) Ltd. All rights reserved. Multimedia Science School range of software is distributed by RM under licence from PLATO Learning, Inc.