A residential care home reviews its evening meals after some residents report discomfort after eating. Table 1 shows the number of residents who reported in...
Question 1 Report
A residential care home reviews its evening meals after some residents report discomfort after eating. Table 1 shows the number of residents who reported indigestion after each of four menu choices during one week. Fig. 2 shows a section of the small intestine. Glucose and other small food molecules move from this part of the digestive system into the blood.
| Menu choice | Number of residents eating the meal | Number reporting indigestion |
|---|---|---|
| Fried chicken and chips | 18 | 9 |
| Chicken, rice and vegetables | 20 | 2 |
| Cheese pastry | 16 | 7 |
| Vegetable soup and bread | 19 | 1 |
(a) State the name of the process by which glucose enters the blood from the small intestine. [1]
(b) Use Table 1 to calculate the percentage of residents eating fried chicken and chips who reported indigestion. Show your working. [2]
(c) Describe three structural features of the small intestine shown in Fig. 2 that make absorption of glucose efficient. [3]
(d) Explain why a meal containing much fried food may take longer to digest than a meal containing mainly vegetables and rice. [3]
(e) Suggest four changes the care home could make to its evening menu or service to reduce indigestion while still providing a balanced human diet. [4]
Answer Details
(a) Glucose enters the blood from the small intestine by diffusion. [1 mark]
(b)
\[\frac{9}{18}\times100=50\%\]50% of residents eating fried chicken and chips reported indigestion. [2 marks]
(c) The small intestine is adapted for efficient absorption because it has many villi, giving a large surface area; villi have a thin wall, one cell thick, giving a short diffusion distance; and they have a large capillary network, maintaining a concentration difference as glucose is carried away. [3 marks]
(d) Fried food contains more fat. Lipase must digest fat into fatty acids and glycerol, and fat digestion is aided by bile emulsification. A high-fat meal can therefore remain in the digestive system for longer than mainly vegetables and rice. [3 marks]
(e) Four suitable changes are: provide baked, grilled or steamed foods instead of fried foods; reduce portions of high-fat foods; include vegetables, fruit or wholegrain foods for fibre; and provide water with meals. Lower-fat protein choices and serving the meal earlier are also acceptable. [4 marks]
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