Interpret the three Core adrenaline response measurements
Calculate changes in breathing rate, heart rate and pupil diameter from invented records.
Core and Extended; Biology 0610, 2026–2028. Use the stated specimen features and evidence. Diagrams are schematic. Written practice is self-checked
Before you begin
- Recall electrical impulses, blood transport, gland secretion and the distinction between a stimulus and a body response.
Work on paper. Try each question before revealing help, and explain why your method works.
Quick readiness check
Which denominator gives a percentage increase?
What you will learn
- Read each quantity with its own unit
- Calculate changes without overstating the evidence
Interpret the three Core adrenaline response measurements
Invented response record; compare each quantity with its own baseline. Different units cannot be added into one overall increase. Original teaching model.
| Quantity and unit | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Breathing rate / breaths/min | 12 | 24 |
| Heart rate / beats/min | 60 | 96 |
| Pupil diameter / mm | 4 | 6 |
| Feature | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Method | After − before |
| Percentage | Change ÷ before × 100 |
| Rate units | Breaths/min or beats/min |
| Diameter unit | Millimetres; not pupil area |
Read each quantity with its own unit
The invented before-and-after record gives breathing rate from 12 to 24 breaths per minute, heart rate from 60 to 96 beats per minute, and pupil diameter from 4 to 6 millimetres. All three rise, consistent with the stated Core adrenaline effects. The data are teaching examples rather than personal measurements or clinical thresholds.
Calculate absolute change as after minus before. Breathing rate rises by 12 breaths per minute; heart rate rises by 36 beats per minute; pupil diameter rises by 2 millimetres. Keep each unit attached to its own quantity. Adding the three numerical changes together would combine unlike measurements and would not produce a meaningful overall biological response.
Calculate changes without overstating the evidence
Percentage increase is absolute increase divided by the starting value, multiplied by 100. Breathing rate rises by 12/12 × 100 = 100%; heart rate by 36/60 × 100 = 60%; pupil diameter by 2/4 × 100 = 50%. The largest numerical after value is not necessarily the largest percentage change, because each comparison has its own baseline.
The record illustrates response directions and proportional changes. By itself, one before-and-after table does not establish that adrenaline was the only cause of every change or that every person would show the same values. A percentage change in pupil diameter is not automatically the same percentage change in pupil area; this task measures diameter only.
Pause and explain
Which percentage increases match the supplied record?
Worked example
Calculate the heart-rate increase from 60 to 96 beats per minute.
Show the worked solution
- Absolute increase is 96 − 60 = 36 beats/min.
- Percentage increase is 36/60 × 100 = 60%.
Answer 36 beats/min increase; 60% increase.
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Write your answer and reasoning first. Use a hint only if you are stuck. The model solution is for self-checking; your written work is not automatically marked.
Calculate absolute and percentage increases for all three supplied rows.
Give me a hint
Subtract first, then divide by each baseline.
Compare my reasoning
- Breathing: +12 breaths/min and 100%; heart: +36 beats/min and 60%.
- Pupil diameter: +2 mm and 50%.
Breathing +12 breaths/min, 100%; heart +36 beats/min, 60%; pupil diameter +2 mm, 50%.
Look for these in your work
- Retain distinct units
- Use each starting denominator
A second invented record has heart rate 50→80 beats/min and breathing rate 10→15 breaths/min. Calculate both percentage increases.
Give me a hint
Compare +30 with 50 and +5 with 10.
Compare my reasoning
- Heart: 30/50 × 100 = 60%.
- Breathing: 5/10 × 100 = 50%.
Heart rate increases by 60%; breathing rate increases by 50%.
Look for these in your work
- Calculate both changes
- Use the two baselines
What do these records support about the Core directions, and what additional claim do they not establish by themselves?
Give me a hint
Separate a pattern from proof of a single cause.
Compare my reasoning
- The supplied quantities increase, consistent with the stated effects.
- The table alone does not prove adrenaline was the sole cause or predict every individual.
The increases are consistent with the Core effects. This before-and-after record alone does not prove a sole adrenaline cause or universal individual values.
Look for these in your work
- State the supported pattern
- Limit the causal conclusion
Common mistakes
- Dividing the increase by the final value.
- Adding unlike units from the three rows.
What can you explain now?
Which percentage increases match the supplied record?
Compare with the explanation
Breathing 100%; heart 60%; pupil diameter 50%
Each change uses its own starting value.
After trying it yourself, choose your next review. This is your self-assessment.
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Make it stick
Calculate all three changes and distinguish response consistency from causal proof.
If you needed the solution, close it and solve the problem again from a blank page. A correct answer is stronger when you can explain the reason for each step.