Video Transcript
Chemical analysis can be used to determine the amount of glucose present in a person. In which scientific field is this analysis important? (A) Environmental, (B) agricultural, (C) industrial, (D) food chemistry, or (E) medical.
Chemical analysis is used to identify and quantify the substances in a material or mixture. And glucose is a simple sugar with the formula C6H12O6, and it is found in a wide range of food. So it may seem like the answer to the question “In which scientific field is this analysis important?” is (D) food chemistry. But the question is specifically asking about the amount of glucose present in a person.
When we ingest food containing glucose or food containing carbohydrates, which we convert to glucose, a lot of the glucose ends up in the bloodstream where it is called blood glucose. So when you eat, your blood glucose level increases. This causes the pancreas to release insulin, which then causes the blood glucose to return to a normal value. If your body doesn’t make any or enough insulin or your body doesn’t use insulin properly, then it’s likely that you have diabetes. And as insulin decreases blood glucose levels, then people with diabetes will often have a high blood glucose level. So blood glucose levels are measured to monitor diabetes. It’s also important to measure blood glucose levels as high blood sugar levels can cause heart disease or kidney disease, for example.
So glucose levels in a person’s body, for example, blood glucose levels, are important in maintaining optimal health. Thus, of all the options given to us, option (E) medical is the most relevant. So the answer to the question “In which scientific field is the analysis of the amount of glucose present in a person important?” is (E) medical.