Lesson 3.6.4.2.1

3.6.4.2.1 Insulin, glucagon and the liver Quiz: AQA Biology, Unit 6

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

In partnership with Revision Ninja

Lesson 3.6.4.2.1, Insulin, glucagon and the liver: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Biology (7402), Unit 6: Organisms respond to changes in their internal and external environments, written with Revision Ninja.

Host it live on the board and students join with a game code on their own devices, or revise alone with Free Play. The answers are revealed in the game.

Host this setFree Play

The 20 questions

  1. Which cells in the pancreas secrete insulin?

    • Acinar cells
    • Beta cells
    • Delta cells
    • Alpha cells

  2. Which process converts stored glycogen back into glucose in liver cells?

    • Gluconeogenesis
    • Glycogenesis
    • Lipogenesis
    • Glycogenolysis

  3. What is the primary effect of insulin on blood glucose concentration?

    • Stabilises blood pressure
    • Decreases blood glucose
    • Increases blood glucose
    • Stabilises blood glucose

  4. Which liver process is directly activated by glucagon to raise blood glucose?

    • Glycolysis
    • Glycogenolysis
    • Glycogenesis
    • Lipogenesis

  5. What is the synthesis of glucose from non-carbohydrate sources called?

    • Glycogenesis
    • Gluconeogenesis
    • Glycolysis
    • Glycogenolysis

  6. How does insulin increase glucose uptake into target cells?

    • Osmotic pressure shifts
    • Direct lipid diffusion
    • Active transport pumps
    • Channel protein insertion

  7. Where do insulin and glucagon bind on target cells?

    • Nuclear receptors
    • Mitochondrial matrix
    • Cytoplasmic enzymes
    • Surface receptors

  8. Which liver process is stimulated when blood glucose rises after a carbohydrate-rich meal?

    • Gluconeogenesis
    • Lipolysis
    • Glycogenesis
    • Glycogenolysis

  9. Which combination of processes occurs in the liver during a prolonged fast?

    • Glycogenesis only
    • Glycogenesis and glycolysis
    • Glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis
    • Lipogenesis only

  10. Which process do adrenaline and glucagon both stimulate in liver cells?

    • Lipogenesis
    • Glycogenesis
    • Gluconeogenesis
    • Glycogenolysis

  11. What is the immediate consequence of beta cell destruction on blood glucose after a meal?

    • Drops rapidly
    • Reaches zero
    • Remains entirely normal
    • Stays high longer

  12. Which specific cells in the islets of Langerhans secrete the hormone glucagon?

    • Beta cells
    • Acinar cells
    • Alpha cells
    • Delta cells

  13. Blood glucose is 10.0 mmol per dm3 and falls by 20 per cent after insulin acts. What is the new concentration?

    • 8.0 mmol per dm3
    • 2.0 mmol per dm3
    • 12.0 mmol per dm3
    • 7.0 mmol per dm3

  14. What is the effect of blocking glucagon receptors during an overnight fast?

    • No change occurs
    • Blood glucose rises
    • Glycogenesis increases
    • Blood glucose falls

  15. What does the liver do when blood glucose is high?

    • Releases glucose
    • Synthesises amino acids
    • Stores as glycogen
    • Excretes glucose

  16. Why does insulin bind to cell surface receptors instead of entering cells directly?

    • It is too small
    • It is polar
    • It is a monosaccharide
    • It is hydrophobic

  17. Put these events in the most likely order after a rise in blood glucose: 1 glucose enters cells, 2 insulin is secreted by beta cells, 3 blood glucose returns to normal, 4 glycogen synthesis increases. Which sequence is correct?

    • 2, 4, 1, 3
    • 1, 2, 4, 3
    • 3, 2, 1, 4
    • 2, 1, 4, 3

  18. Which measurement shows increased liver glucose output when treated with glucagon?

    • Intracellular ATP drop
    • Released glucose rise
    • Glycogen content rise
    • Amino acid uptake

  19. Blood glucose is 5.0 mmol per dm3 and a hormone causes liver output to rise so that blood glucose increases by 30 per cent. What is the new value?

    • 1.5 mmol per dm3
    • 8.0 mmol per dm3
    • 6.5 mmol per dm3
    • 3.5 mmol per dm3

  20. Which mechanism allows insulin and glucagon to have opposite effects on liver cells?

    • Direct enzyme inhibition
    • Shared cell receptor
    • Distinct surface receptors
    • Intracellular receptors

All AQA Biology quizzes