SFSU BIO 230 FINAL EXAM PAPER 2026
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ Explain the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes
• Predict when insulin and glucagon will be released
• Predict the effects that insulin and glucagon will have on blood sugar
levels
• Explain how and why diabetes, either Type 1 or Type 2, disrupts the
homeostatic regulation of blood sugar levels
• Explain how high blood sugar levels my impact your health using
hemoglobin A1C as an example. Answer: 1. Explain the difference
between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes:
- Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the body doesn't
produce insulin, while Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin
resistance, where the body's cells don't respond effectively to insulin.
2. Predict when insulin and glucagon will be released:
- Insulin is released when blood glucose levels rise, typically after a
meal, whereas glucagon is released when glucose levels are low, usually
between meals or during fasting.
3. Predict the effects that insulin and glucagon will have on blood sugar
levels:
, - Insulin lowers blood sugar levels by facilitating the uptake of glucose
into cells, while glucagon raises blood sugar levels by promoting the
conversion of glycogen into glucose and releasing it into the
bloodstream.
4. Explain how and why diabetes, either Type 1 or Type 2, disrupts the
homeostatic regulation of blood sugar levels:
- In Type 1 diabetes, the absence of insulin leads to uncontrolled high
blood sugar, while in Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance impairs the
normal regulation of glucose levels, resulting in elevated blood sugar.
5. Explain how high blood sugar levels may impact your health using
hemoglobin A1C as an example:
- Prolonged high blood sugar levels, as reflected by elevated
hemoglobin A1C levels, can lead to complications such as
cardiovascular disease, kidney damage, and nerve damage, highlighting
the importance of maintaining glucose homeostasis for overall health.
◉ Regulation of blood gasses, oxygen and carbon dioxide: The
regulation of blood gasses is essential for maintaining sufficient oxygen
levels in the blood to support cellular respiration. Gas exchange between
atmospheric air and the blood occurs in the alveoli of the lungs. Oxygen
diffuses down its concentration gradient from the alveoli into the blood
by first dissolving in the fluid coating the inside of the alveoli. It then
diffuses across the alveolar walls, the capillary walls and finally binds to
hemoglobin in red blood cells. It then circulates through the body and
once again diffuses down its concentration in respiring tissues (tissues
,that are consuming oxygen). Answer: Carbon dioxide takes exactly the
opposite path. It is at its highest concentration in respiring tissues. It
diffuses down its concentration gradient from respiring tissues to the
blood and then from the blood into the atmospheric air contained in the
alveoli. One thing to note about its transport in the blood is that most
carbon dioxide is transported as bicarbonate ion. Water reacts with CO2
to form carbonic acid, H2CO3. One proton (H+) then dissociates from
the carbonic acid to form H+ and bicarbonate ion HCO3-. This reaction
is catalyzed by carbonic anhydrase. The rate at which you inhale is
determined by sensory cells in various tissues of your body, including
the brain and certain arteries, that monitor the pH of the blood plasma.
As the pH of your blood decreases, the rate at which you breathe
increases, or least the urge to breathe increases. For the test, you should
be able to do the following:
◉ • Predict how changes in the pH of the blood will affect the urge to
breathe or the rate of breathing
• Explain the relationship between the pH of your blood and the
concentration of CO2 in the blood
• Predict how changes in the concentration of carbon dioxide affect the
pH of the blood
• Explain how oxygen entering the body is used by cellular respiration
and what molecule it is incorporated into during respiration
• Explain how the CO2 you breathe out is generated during cellular
respiration. Answer:
◉ From Test #3..
, Thinking in Terms of Mass, Thinking in Terms of Energy: Can energy or
mass be destroyed? Answer: energy cannot be created or destroyed but
only converted/transformed from one form to another.
◉ Can see energy be converted to mass? Mass to energy? Answer:
1)Yes, during photosynthesis (makes glucose)2)Yes, through cellular
respiration
◉ What does it mean to transform energy between different forms (ex.
sunlight into chemical energy)? Answer: Photosynthesis, Sunlight is
transformed into chemical energy stored in glucose. like light reaction
and Calvin cycle
◉ Think carefully about how you will discuss energy and matter/mass in
your answers to exam questions.. What is anabolism (i.e. an anabolic
process). Answer: set of metabolic processes that build complex
molecules from simpler ones, requiring an input of energy. contributing
to the growth and maintenance of cells and tissues.
◉ How does anabolism differ from catabolism (i.e. a catabolic process).
Answer: anabolism involves building, requiring energy input, while
catabolism involves breaking down, releasing energy.
◉ The Big Picture of Photosynthesis - Making Food for All Living
Things: What is the effect of photosynthesis? Answer: a fundamental
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉ Explain the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes
• Predict when insulin and glucagon will be released
• Predict the effects that insulin and glucagon will have on blood sugar
levels
• Explain how and why diabetes, either Type 1 or Type 2, disrupts the
homeostatic regulation of blood sugar levels
• Explain how high blood sugar levels my impact your health using
hemoglobin A1C as an example. Answer: 1. Explain the difference
between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes:
- Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the body doesn't
produce insulin, while Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin
resistance, where the body's cells don't respond effectively to insulin.
2. Predict when insulin and glucagon will be released:
- Insulin is released when blood glucose levels rise, typically after a
meal, whereas glucagon is released when glucose levels are low, usually
between meals or during fasting.
3. Predict the effects that insulin and glucagon will have on blood sugar
levels:
, - Insulin lowers blood sugar levels by facilitating the uptake of glucose
into cells, while glucagon raises blood sugar levels by promoting the
conversion of glycogen into glucose and releasing it into the
bloodstream.
4. Explain how and why diabetes, either Type 1 or Type 2, disrupts the
homeostatic regulation of blood sugar levels:
- In Type 1 diabetes, the absence of insulin leads to uncontrolled high
blood sugar, while in Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance impairs the
normal regulation of glucose levels, resulting in elevated blood sugar.
5. Explain how high blood sugar levels may impact your health using
hemoglobin A1C as an example:
- Prolonged high blood sugar levels, as reflected by elevated
hemoglobin A1C levels, can lead to complications such as
cardiovascular disease, kidney damage, and nerve damage, highlighting
the importance of maintaining glucose homeostasis for overall health.
◉ Regulation of blood gasses, oxygen and carbon dioxide: The
regulation of blood gasses is essential for maintaining sufficient oxygen
levels in the blood to support cellular respiration. Gas exchange between
atmospheric air and the blood occurs in the alveoli of the lungs. Oxygen
diffuses down its concentration gradient from the alveoli into the blood
by first dissolving in the fluid coating the inside of the alveoli. It then
diffuses across the alveolar walls, the capillary walls and finally binds to
hemoglobin in red blood cells. It then circulates through the body and
once again diffuses down its concentration in respiring tissues (tissues
,that are consuming oxygen). Answer: Carbon dioxide takes exactly the
opposite path. It is at its highest concentration in respiring tissues. It
diffuses down its concentration gradient from respiring tissues to the
blood and then from the blood into the atmospheric air contained in the
alveoli. One thing to note about its transport in the blood is that most
carbon dioxide is transported as bicarbonate ion. Water reacts with CO2
to form carbonic acid, H2CO3. One proton (H+) then dissociates from
the carbonic acid to form H+ and bicarbonate ion HCO3-. This reaction
is catalyzed by carbonic anhydrase. The rate at which you inhale is
determined by sensory cells in various tissues of your body, including
the brain and certain arteries, that monitor the pH of the blood plasma.
As the pH of your blood decreases, the rate at which you breathe
increases, or least the urge to breathe increases. For the test, you should
be able to do the following:
◉ • Predict how changes in the pH of the blood will affect the urge to
breathe or the rate of breathing
• Explain the relationship between the pH of your blood and the
concentration of CO2 in the blood
• Predict how changes in the concentration of carbon dioxide affect the
pH of the blood
• Explain how oxygen entering the body is used by cellular respiration
and what molecule it is incorporated into during respiration
• Explain how the CO2 you breathe out is generated during cellular
respiration. Answer:
◉ From Test #3..
, Thinking in Terms of Mass, Thinking in Terms of Energy: Can energy or
mass be destroyed? Answer: energy cannot be created or destroyed but
only converted/transformed from one form to another.
◉ Can see energy be converted to mass? Mass to energy? Answer:
1)Yes, during photosynthesis (makes glucose)2)Yes, through cellular
respiration
◉ What does it mean to transform energy between different forms (ex.
sunlight into chemical energy)? Answer: Photosynthesis, Sunlight is
transformed into chemical energy stored in glucose. like light reaction
and Calvin cycle
◉ Think carefully about how you will discuss energy and matter/mass in
your answers to exam questions.. What is anabolism (i.e. an anabolic
process). Answer: set of metabolic processes that build complex
molecules from simpler ones, requiring an input of energy. contributing
to the growth and maintenance of cells and tissues.
◉ How does anabolism differ from catabolism (i.e. a catabolic process).
Answer: anabolism involves building, requiring energy input, while
catabolism involves breaking down, releasing energy.
◉ The Big Picture of Photosynthesis - Making Food for All Living
Things: What is the effect of photosynthesis? Answer: a fundamental
