Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at
5:08 pm
Regulation of Blood Glucose Laboratory
1. The class should be divided into a water only (control) group and a
dextrose (experimental) group. Students should report to lab having fasted
for about 8 hours or, at least, skipping the meal preceding the lab. If you
must eat, then please do it as far in advance of the lab as possible. Also, limit
fluid intake and exclude caffeine prior to the lab.
2. Determine each student’s normal blood glucose level, using the Freestyle
Blood Glucose Monitoring System (glucometer). Obtain blood for the test
from a finger, using a sterile lancet. Clean the finger with 70% alcohol first.
3. Each subject will then consume one cup of water (~ 296 ml) or one bottle
of dextrose (75g in 296 ml). Use bottled water or obtain water from the
drinking fountain. Consume the water or dextrose as rapidly as comfortable.
Upon completion, designate the time as Time 0. No additional beverages
will be consumed beyond this point and no eating.
4. After ingesting the substances, repeat the glucometer test
every 30 minutes. Testing will continue in this
manner for two hours. A total of five samples will be collected at 0, 30, 60,
90, and 120 minutes.
5. Each student will record the data. Data will be averaged and plotted as a
class. You do not need to plot your individual data. Graph the data, where
possible, and include in a laboratory report.
The results: The beverage consumed also had an effect on the blood glucose levels. The blood glucose level in the water group remained relatively constant. In the dextrose group, the blood glucose level peaked at 30 minutes then declined the remaining 90 minutes.
Questions:
1. How is blood glucose regulated in the fasting state? Why are both groups exhibiting approximately equal blood glucose levels?
2. Why are blood glucose levels in the water group remaining relatively constant?
3. What is causing the increased blood glucose levels in the dextrose group?
4. How can the decreasing levels of blood glucose be explained?
Technorati Tags: blood glucose level, blood glucose levels, blood glucose monitoring, blood glucose monitoring system, bottled water, control group, drinking fountain, experimental group, freestyle blood glucose, freestyle blood glucose monitoring system, glucose monitoring system, google, group students, laboratory report, normal blood glucose, normal blood glucose level, regulation of blood glucose, script type, text javascript, water group