Question

a student often consumes a large amount of glucose gels during exercise without understanding the impact on her ability to maintain homeostasis.
c₆h₁₂o₆ + 6o₂ ⟶ 6co₂ + 6h₂o
glucose oxygen carbon dioxide water
(image of glucose, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water molecules with key for atoms: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen)
cellular respiration diagram: teachtci.com

1. using evidence from the diagram above and the passage, construct an explanation that predicts how consuming too many glucose gels could affect the subject’s ability to maintain homeostasis. in your response, describe how energy is produced during aerobic respiration, and explain how excess glucose might disrupt the balance. 1

cluster 3
does it matter?
the carbon used by plants is moved between living organisms, the minerals in the soil, the hydrosphere, and the atmosphere through processes in the carbon cycle.
(image: matter conversions diagram with sun, trees, cow, soil, process a (chloroplast), process b (mitochondrion), process c (decomposer), arrows for energy and matter flow, labels like 120 x 10⁶ grams of glucose produced, 80 x 10⁶ grams of glucose consumed, 80 x 10⁶ grams of water released, nutrients added to soil)

1. using information from the model, which statement correctly identifies how the movement of matter in this ecosystem provides energy for different organisms?

(1) the plant takes in carbon compounds from the atmosphere, which get converted into sugar and then used by the cow during process b to produce usable energy.
(2) the plant takes in oxygen from the soil, which gets converted into nutrients during process b to produce usable energy.
(3) the cow performs process c, which releases sugars into the atmosphere and then is used by plants during process a to produce usable energy.
(4) the cow’s wastes are broken down through process a, which releases sugars into the soil and then is used by plants during process c to produce usable energy

Explanation:

Question 17 (Explanation for the effect of too many glucose gels on homeostasis)

Step 1: Recall Cellular Respiration

Cellular respiration (the equation given: \( \ce{C6H12O6 + 6O2 -> 6CO2 + 6H2O} \)) uses glucose and oxygen to produce energy (ATP), \( \ce{CO2} \), and water.

Step 2: Analyze Glucose Intake Impact

Consuming too many glucose gels increases blood glucose levels. The body’s homeostatic mechanisms (like insulin release) try to regulate this. But excess glucose means more substrate for respiration.

Step 3: Discuss Product (ATP, CO₂, H₂O) Changes

During respiration, more glucose leads to more ATP production (energy), but also more \( \ce{CO2} \) and water. The body must balance these products. For example, \( \ce{CO2} \) affects blood pH (more \( \ce{CO2} \) can lower pH, making it acidic). The body’s systems (like respiratory to expel \( \ce{CO2} \), excretory to remove excess water) work to maintain balance, but too much glucose overwhelms these, disrupting homeostasis (e.g., blood glucose too high, pH imbalance, water imbalance).

• Option (1): Plants take in \( \ce{CO2} \) (carbon compounds) from the atmosphere, use photosynthesis (Process A, likely) to make sugar. Cows eat plants, and use cellular respiration (Process B, likely) to break sugar into ATP (usable energy). This matches matter/energy flow.
• Option (2): Plants get oxygen from the air, not soil, and don’t convert oxygen to nutrients in Process B (respiration uses sugar, not oxygen - to - nutrient conversion). Eliminate.
• Option (3): Cows do not perform a process that releases sugars into the atmosphere; they respire (release \( \ce{CO2} \)) or excrete. Plants use \( \ce{CO2} \) for photosynthesis (Process A), not sugar from cows. Eliminate.
• Option (4): Cow waste is broken down by decomposers (Process C, likely), which release nutrients (not sugars) into soil. Plants use soil nutrients for growth, not Process C to make energy (Process A is photosynthesis, uses \( \ce{CO2} \)/light). Eliminate.

Answer:

Consuming too many glucose gels raises blood glucose. Cellular respiration (\( \ce{C6H12O6 + 6O2 -> 6CO2 + 6H2O} \)) uses glucose, producing more ATP, \( \ce{CO2} \), and water. Excess \( \ce{CO2} \) lowers blood pH (acidosis), excess water disrupts fluid balance, and high glucose overwhelms insulin regulation. These imbalances disrupt homeostasis as the body struggles to regulate glucose, \( \ce{CO2} \), and water levels.

Question 18 (Multiple - choice about matter movement for energy)