“Mnemonics” - The Learning Technique

Idea of writing this article came to me when some of my students said that it is difficult for them to learn biology,
although they understand it. So I felt it may not be the problem of few but it can be the problem of many.

As we all know understanding and learning or memorising what you have understood are two equally important
and different aspects. Each one contributes in its own way for the completion of your studies.

Here taking help from the large database available I would like to suggest you all few techniques which are
definitely going to help you all in memorising difficult biological terminology and getting this so called difficult
subject on your tips.

We call these techniques as “Mnemonics”. Mnemonic device is a word, a little phrase or rhyme used as a
memory tool. You can form these words or phrases by picking up the initials from the lists or the terms, you want
to memorise.

Here are a few examples of Mnemonics that can be used to learn various topics of biology. By looking into these
examples you can also create your own mnemonics according to your comfort and interest level.

1. To learn the name of 10 essential amino acids just remember the name Pvt Tim HALL.

They suggest Phenylalanine, Valine, Threonin, Tryptophan, Isoleucine, Methionine, Histidine, Arginine, Leu-
cine, Lysine
2. For phases of Mitosis–
I Picked My Apples Today
Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase.

3. Classes of vertebrates can be learnt as FARM-B

Fishes, Amphibians, Reptiles, Mammalia and Birds.

4. Names of 4 valves present in the heart.

Try Pulling My Aorta
Tricuspid, Pulmonary, Mitral, Aortic

5. Names of Excretory organs of the body

SKILL
Skin, Kidney, Intestine, Lungs, Liver.

6. Name of Skull bones

Old People From Texas Eat Spiders
Occipital, Parietat, Frontal, Temporal, Ethnoid, Sphenoid.

7. Classification Hierarchy –
Keep Pot Clean Or Family Get Sick
Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

8. Various Ecological levels

I’m Pleased to Carry Everyone’s Biology Books
Individual, Population, Community, Ecosystem, Biome, Biosphere

9. Order of Earth’s Atmospheric layers.

The Strong Man’s Triceps Explode
Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere .

10. Pairing of nucleotides in DNA molecule.

At The Girl’s Club
A + T = G + C

Adenine pairs with Thyamine

Guanine pairs with Cytosine