BIOLOGY PERIOD 4/5

MS. Mathews

Homeostasis
Glucose Levels
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By Adam Rosenbaum, Hayden Shaffer, Nitin Mamidi, and Wilson Perry

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Abstract
Using a glucose monitor, three participants measured their initial blood sugar levels.
Two participants, participant 1 and 2, then consumed 43 grams of sugar. Then the glucose
levels were measured every ten minutes until they returned to their initial level. The third
participant, consumed 12 oz of water. The glucose was then recorded until they reached their
initial homeostasis again. then the our data was analyzed and graphs were made.

Introduction
The controlling of sugar levels in the body is extremely important and not many people
know about its effect. In this lab, the goal was to find our blood sugar levels. This was tested
in a unique way. Participants drank a can of crush soda and recorded the data. The reason this
test was performed was to examine how our blood sugar levels would rise and drop after the
consumption of the sugar. In the beginning of this project, our group researched about glucose
and insulin and how the body produces it. the bodies of diabetic people and how they cant
produce insulin was researched.

Hypothesis
The hypothesis was that 10 minutes after drinking the can of crush are blood sugar
levels will rise and then after 10 more minutes they will fall and be normal. If you drink a lot of

sugar then you blood sugar will rise, then eventually fall and return to maintain homeostasis.
The more sugar you consume, the longer it will take to return to homeostasis.

Procedure
1. Obtain a glucose monitor
2. Record initial glucose level of 2 people from finger tips in data table
3. Two students consume 43g of sugar immediately
4. After ten minutes, record glucose levels of two students with sugar
5. After another ten minutes, record glucose levels of the two students
6. Now, record the glucose of one new student, after the other two have returned to
homeostasis.
7. Now, the new student must drink 12 oz. of water
8. After ten minutes, record the glucose levels of the one student.
9. Wait another ten minutes and test glucose levels again of the same one student,
recording in data table
10. Test every 10 minutes until return to homeostasis
11. Create a bar graph of glucose levels vs time
12. Create a line graph of glucose levels vs time
13. Create a bar graph of time of return to homeostasis

Materials
Truetrack Glucose Kit
1 Can of Crush Orange Soda (43 g of sugar)
Our Blood
Phone (timer)
Water

Results
Participant Initial Glucose Glucose Level Glucose level 20 Glucose Level 30
level ten minutes minutes after minutes after
(mg/dl) after drink drink Drink
(mg/dl) (mg/dl) (mg/dl)

Participant 1 115 155 126 105

Sugar

Participant 2 115 114 112 N/A

Sugar

Participant 3 127 123 125 N/A

Water

The N/A in this situation means that the participant reached homeostasis before the time
allotted. Out of all three participants, participant 1 processed sugar the slowest while
participant 3 processed water much faster. Participant 2 processed sugar almost as quickly as
participant 3 processed water. This tells us that participant 2s body processes sugar very
quickly. Participant 1 processed sugar very slowly, and this prompted the group to time for an
extra 10 minutes.

Figure 1


Figure 2

Figure 3


Observations
Throughout this project it was observed that timing is difficult. The timing was messed up on
multiple occasions which might of led to non accuracy. A big observation was that the lancing
device was kind of scary and were hesitant to prick ourselves. One of our participants
processed sugar very quickly which was a sight to see while the other processed it very slowly.
This led us to observe that all bodies are different. Another thing that was noticed was that the
warmer your finger is it will be easier to draw blood. A lot of time and strips will be wasted if
your fingers are cold.

Discussion
Figures 1 and 2 show the subjects blood sugar levels. Participant 1 drank the soda.
The subject blood sugar rapidly rose then fell back down to normal. Patient 2 was also drank the
soda Their blood sugar actually fell in the 10 minute period which probably means they process
sugars faster that the first participant. Participant 3 was are control and just drank water with
no sugar added to it. Their blood sugar started and ended in about the same place, as would be
expected to because they had no sugar added, so nothing should have really changed.

The third figure, the bar graph, shows the time it took for each participant to return to
homeostasis. The measure was by minutes after each participant drank. From this bar graph,
it is possible to determine that the amount of sugar consumed increases the amount of time
that is necessary to return to homeostasis.

In the process of this lab a lot of things were discovered. Homeostasis is different for
everyone and it all depends on the body type. From the two participants that drank soda, one
returned to homeostasis significantly quicker than the other. This tells demonstrates that all
body types vary and every person's homeostasis levels are different.

This project was significantly easier and less complex than others so far, so it was
mostly simplistic. After seeing how to correctly record glucose levels using the monitor the


procedure became easier. The process of this was a well-oiled machine. Our use of the lancing
device was exemplary and the placement of the blood on the strips was well executed. Our
timing was mostly accurate and and the consumption of sugar was easy.

Since it was our first time with these instruments. Perfection was off the table and made
a few mistakes. Also the lancing device was especially scary since the only way to attain the
blood sample was by stabbing ourselves with a needle. This led to us keeping the device on the
lower settings. This did not benefit us because it led to insufficient amounts of blood which
ended up wasting a lot of strips. Apparently cold hands also do not produce a sufficient amount
of blood and that was another reason lots of strips were wasted. This caused us to have to go
buy more therefore wasting half a work day. Our group also messed up quite a few times when
it came to timing. According to our procedure, we were supposed to apply the blood on the
strip as soon as the timer went off for the most accurate data, but half the time our group did it
five minutes after due to not getting a sufficient amount of blood. Also a few interferences
occurred during our work session that disrupted the accuracy of the data such as the fire alarm
going off during our timing.

Although this project was particularly easy there was still room for improvement. Our
procedure was not planned out each specifically so that the amount of human error would be
reduced and that affected our results. By pricking ourselves a minute or two earlier the amount
of time wasted could be completely avoided. Cold hands was also another problem so if this
project was to be done again, warmed up our hands would be pricked. Another idea that
wouldve been nice to test would be the effects of eating sugary foods compared the results to
drinking sugary liquids. If the materials were available, the group should have tested our blood
sugar more often because person 3 drank sugar but returned to homeostasis after 10 minutes.

This experiment can lead to further investigations in two ways. Either do the entire
procedure the same except replace the independent variable with solid sugary food and
compare the results or can entirely take out the concept of sugar and replace it with another
substance such as sodium.

Works Cited
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_sugar_level

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/body/glycogen.html

https://provider.ghc.org/open/caringForOurMembers/patientHealthEducation/conditionsDisea
ses/diabetes/bloodGlucoseMeter.pdf

https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/guide/diabetes-hyperglycemia

These websites were used to research our topic.