A person eats a large meal containing a high amount of carbohydrates. Explain how hormonal coordination returns their blood glucose concentration to the normal level after this meal.

Edexcel A-Level Biology A: Salters-Nuffield (9BN0) — 4.5 Hormonal coordination · Explain · 5 marks · View as Markdown

Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).

Model answer (5 marks)

Blood glucose rises after the meal is digested and absorbed.
The pancreas senses the high glucose level and secretes insulin.
Insulin stimulates cells and the liver to take up glucose from the blood.
In the liver glucose is stored as glycogen.
Glucose uptake and storage lower the blood glucose concentration back to normal.

Examiner tips

  • Use the word "secretes" for insulin, not "produces". Show the sequence: rise → detection → insulin release → uptake/storage → normalisation. Mention the liver as the storage site for glycogen.

Common mistakes

  • Failing to state that insulin is released by the pancreas. Omitting the liver as the site of glycogen synthesis. Using vague terms like "glucose is removed" instead of "taken up by cells and stored as glycogen."

Mark scheme (5 marks)

  1. Blood glucose concentration rises (above normal) after the meal is digested / glucose is absorbed into the blood
  2. The pancreas detects the rise in blood glucose and releases / secretes insulin
  3. Insulin causes cells / the liver to take up more glucose from the blood
  4. Glucose is converted to glycogen (for storage) in the liver
  5. Blood glucose concentration returns to / is restored to the normal level

Key terms in this question

blood glucose concentration · hormonal coordination

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