Mnemonics are a great tool to memorizing large amounts of information quickly. Here are a couple I used to answer some questions on the DAT:

Cell Division / Cell Biology

Cell Replication Phases = I Pee on a MAT

I = Interphase

P = Prophase

M = Metaphase

A = Anaphase

T = Telophase

Metaphase = “M” = Middle

All chromosomes line up in the middle of the cell at the metaphase Plate

Anaphase = “A” = Apart

Sister chromatids are pulled Apart

Pyrimidines = CUT the PYE (pyrimidine)

C = Cytosine

U = Uracil

T = Thymine

Purines = Pure (purine) Silver (Ag)

A = Adenine

G = Guanine

Ion Movement Across a Membrane = Salted Bananas

3 Sodium ions (“salt”) flow out of the cell and 2 Potassium ions (“bananas”) into the cell

Central Dogma = Roast Turkey Later

R = Replication

T = Transcription

L = transLation

Anatomy & Physiology

Sequence of the Small Intestine = The small intestine “Don’t Just Injest”

D = Duodenum

J = Jejunum

I = Ileum

COPS = Four Types of Myelinated Cells in the Nervous System

Central NS: Oligodendrocytes

Peripheral NS: Schwann Cells

Epidermis Layers = Come Lets Get Sun Burned

C = Corneum

L = Lucidum

G = Granulosum

S = Spinosum

B = Basal

Liver Functions = PUSH DoG

P = Protein synthesis

U = Urea synethesis

S = Storage

H = Hormone synthesis

D = DetOxification

G = Glucose and fat metabolism

Afferent vs. Efferent Neurons = SAME DAVE

S, A= Sensory, Afferent

M, E = Motor, Efferent

D, A = Dorsal, Afferent

V, E = Ventral, Efferent

FLAT PEG = Hormones secreted by the Anterior Pituitary

F = Follicle stimulating hormone

L = Luteinizing hormone

A = ACTH

T = Thyroid stimulating hormone

P = Prolactin

E = Endorphins

G = Growth hormone

Calcitonin/Parathyroid Differentiation

CalciTONin = “Tone it down” = Decrease in blood calcium

Parathyroid is the opposite

Taxonomy

Four Chordate Features = Do Not Pinch People

D = Dorsal hollow nerve cord

N = Notochord

P = Pharyngeal gill slits

P = muscular Post-anal tail

King Phillip Came Over From Great Spain (or King Phillip Came Over For Great Soup)

K = Kingdom

P = Phylum

C = Class

O = Order

F = Family

G = Genus

S = Species

Phylogeny

Animal Kingdom Phylums = How to remember which are acoelomates, pseudocoelomates, and coelomates = Privileged Children Play Nicely and Maturely Always Ensuring Cooperation

P = Porifera

C = Cnidarian

P = Platyhelminthes

N = Nematoda

A = Annelida

M = Mollusca

A = Arthropoda

E = Echinodermata

C = Chordates

* Rotifers are pseudocoelomates (not included in this mnemonic)

Immunology

Order of White Blood Cell Abundance in Blood = Never Let Monkeys Eat Bananas

N = Neutrophils (most abundant)

L = Lymphocytes

M = Monocytes

E = Eosinophils

B = Basophils (least abundant)

Evolution

Hardy-Weinberg Requirements = Large Random M&M

L = Large population

R = Random mating

M = no Mutation

N = no Natural selection

M = no Migration

Biology Lab Techniques

Southern Northern and Western Blot = SNOW DROP

S = Southern blot = D = DNA detection

N = Northern blot = R = RNA detection

O = –

W = Western blot = P = Protein detection