D3.3.4—Diabetes
Diabetes disrupts blood glucose control through insufficient insulin production or reduced cellular response to insulin in human physiology in human physiology.
- Syllabus
- First assessment 2025
- Objective
- D3.3.4
- Level
- SL
Exam analysis
Chance of appearing11%of analysed past papers
Latest appearanceNovember 2024
Most common paperPaper3
Typical marks1–2
Common command terms
- Describe
- Identify
- Explain
- State
- Discuss
- Analyse
- Outline
Recent exam appearances
November 2024Paper1 ["SL"] · TZ129[ 1 ]D3.3.4—Diabetes
May 2021Paper1 ["SL"] · TZ28[ 1 ]D3.3.4—Diabetes
November 2020Paper3 ["SL"] · TZ01(b)[ 2 ]D3.3.4—Diabetes
May 2019Paper3 ["SL"] · TZ216(b)[ 2 ]D3.3.4—Diabetes
November 2015Paper1 ["SL"] · TZ028[ 1 ]D3.3.4—Diabetes
Practice this objective
Coverage 2010–2024 · Updated 16 Jul 2026
Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Disrupt Different Parts of Control
Diabetes mellitus causes persistent difficulty controlling blood glucose, but type 1 and type 2 begin with different physiological failures.
| Feature | Type 1 | Type 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Main physiological change | Autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells causes little or no insulin secretion | Target cells respond poorly to insulin; beta-cell function may later decline |
| Important risk pattern | Autoimmune susceptibility; not prevented by lifestyle | Risk rises with genetic susceptibility, excess body fat and low physical activity |
| Management | Insulin replacement, glucose monitoring and coordinated diet/exercise | Activity, diet and healthy body mass can reduce risk and aid control; medication and sometimes insulin may be required |
With too little effective insulin signalling, uptake and storage do not adequately reduce blood glucose after a meal, so hyperglycaemia persists.
Lifestyle is a risk modifier for type 2, not a moral diagnosis or the sole cause. A single high reading does not distinguish the two types.
Diabetes exam focus
Assessment in practice
1–2 marksHow it is assessed
This objective is assessed through structured response, commonly using Describe / Identify / Explain.
Command terms
Describe / Identify / Explain / State / Discuss / Analyse / Outline
What earns marks
Build the answer around this relationship: Type I diabetes involves insufficient insulin production.
Representative question
Question 1
Outline type II diabetes.
Retrieve the Core Homeostasis Route
Core D3.3 is secure when every example becomes a feedback route: identify the variable, detect deviation, coordinate a response, activate effectors, and reverse the change. Glucose and temperature are the key worked examples.
- stable internal environment within narrow limits
- detects deviation from set point and reverses it
- insulin lowers high glucose; glucagon raises low glucose
- hypothalamus coordinates cooling or warming responses
Core Homeostasis
Core homeostasis answers should use a control-loop structure, not a list of responses. The response starts with the variable and set point, then explains how the body detects deviation and activates the response that reverses it. Apply that loop to glucose, diabetes, or temperature.
- Define homeostasis as maintaining stable internal conditions within narrow limits.
- Use negative feedback language: receptor, coordinator, effector, set point, and reverse the deviation.
- Apply the loop to insulin/glucagon, diabetes types, or hot/cold thermoregulation responses.
Concept essentials
- Type I diabetes involves insufficient insulin production.
- Type II diabetes involves reduced target-cell response to insulin.
- Diabetes can cause high blood glucose and glucose loss in urine.