Growth hormone and insulin are protein hormones that regulate carbohydrate metabolism by hepatocytes (liver cells) through the activation of intracellular signaling pathways. Researchers investigated whether the two hormones trigger the same or different intracellular signaling pathways in hepatocytes. The researchers added either growth hormone or insulin to parallel cultures of hepatocytes. At several time points after the hormone addition, they purified total intracellular protein from the cells and quantified the level of the phosphorylated forms of two proteins involved in two different signaling pathways (Figure 1, A and B)

(d) The researchers claim that the similar regulation of carbohydrate metabolism
by hepatocytes when the cells are treated with growth hormone or insulin results from the activation of different signaling pathways. Use the data from the researchers’ experiment to support their claim.

The data from the experiment support the claim that the similar regulation of carbohydrate metabolism by hepatocytes occurs when the cells are treated with growth hormone or insulin results from the activation of different signaling pathways

Explanation:

If we take a look on the graph, it shows increase in the phosphorylated protein when the growth hormone or insulin is applied to the cells with the passage of time. At 15 minutes , it reaches to its highest level but after 15 minutes of addition of growth hormone and insulin, the level of phosphorylated protein decrease when the time exceeds from 15 minutes to 240 minutes. So it is concluded that growth hormones or insulin increase the level of phosphorylated protein.