Biochemistry
Mnemonics for Medical Students This is part of best medical biochemistry
mnemonics including amino acid mnemonics .These mnemonics are collected from various
offline and online sources including text books.If you know any other
biochemistry mnemonics please share via comments.
Essential
amino acids PVT. TIM HALL:
Phe
Val
Thr
Trp
Ile
Met
His
Arg
Leu
Lys
· Pvt. is short
for Private in the military.
· Arg and His are
considered semiessential.
· Alternatively:
"MATT VIL PHLy".
TCA
cycle substrates "Citrate Is Krebs' Starting Substrate For Making Oxaloacetate"
Citrate, Isocitrate, alpha-Ketoglutarate,
Succinyl-CoA, Succinate, Fumarate, Malate, Oxaloacetate
Start
and stop codonsAUG inAUGurates transcription
UGA = U Go Away UAA = U Are Away UAG = U Are
Gone
Functions of Glutathione "T.
M.E.D.I.C.S"
Transport of
amino acids
Methemoglobin
reduction
Erythrocyte
homeostasis (inactivation of free radicals inside RBC)
Detoxification of
organophosphorus, halogenated or nitrogenous compounds
Insulin
Inactivation
Coenzyme in
Reduction reactions
Scavanger of
toxic substances
Catabolism steps of branched chain amino
acids "Truck
hit the Ox to Death":
Transamination
Oxidative
decarboxylation
Dehydrogenation
Glycolysis
enzymes "High Profile People
Act Too Glamorous, Picture Posing Every
Place":
Hexokinase
Phosphoglucose isomerase
Phosphofructokinase (PFK)
Aldase A
Triose phosphate isomerase
Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase
Phosphoglycerate mutase
Enolase
Pyruvate kinase
Fasting state: branched-chain amino acids used
by skeletal muscles
"Muscles LIVe
fast":
Leucine
Isoleucine
Valine
Creatine
phosphate: amino acid precursors "Nice GAMs!":
Glycine
Arginine
Methionine
· Gam is slang
for a person's leg, especiallay an attractive female's leg: "Nice
gams = nice
legs!"
Trinucleotide repeat disorders"Try
hunting for my fried eggs"
Trinucleotide:
Huntington's (CAG) MyoTonic dystrophy (CTG) Friedrich's Ataxia (GAA) fraGile X
syndrome (CGG)
Fabry
disease: presentation FABRY:
Ferile episodes
Angiokeratomas/ Alpha
galactosidase A deficiency
Burning pain
Renal failure
Youth death
Porphyrias:
acute intermittent porphyria symptoms 5 P's:
Pain in abdomen
Polyneuropathy
Psychologial abnormalities
Pink urine
Precipitated by drugs (eg barbiturates, oral
contraceptives, sulpha
drugs)
BUN:creatinine elevation: causes ABCD:
Azotremia (pre-renal)
Bleeding (GI)
Catabolic status
Diet (high protein parenteral nutrition)
G6PD: oxidant drugs inducing hemolytic
anemia AAA:
Antibiotic (eg: sufamethoxazole)
Antimalarial (eg: primaquine)
Antipyretics (eg: acetanilid, but not aspirin
or acetaminophen)
Vitamin B3 (niacin, nicotinic acid)
deficiency: pellagra The
3 D's of pellagra:
Dermatitis
Diarrhea
Dementia
· Note vitamin B3 is the 3D's.
Glycogen storage: Anderson's (IV) vs. Cori's
(III) enzyme defect
ABCD:
Anderson's=Branching enzyme.
Cori's=Debranching enzyme.
· Otherwise, can't really distinguish
clinically.
Benzene ring: effects of substituents on
further additions
"Benzene likes to ROMP.
We HOPED she's be safe, but now she's
knocked up. ADOPt or WEDD'M?":
ROMP: Substituents in
order: R-group, Ortho, Meta,
Para.
HOPED: Halogens
are Ortho, Para, Electron
withdrawing, Deactivating.
ADOPt: Addititive
substituents Direct Ortho & Para.
WEDD'M: Withdrawing Electrons Deactivates, Directs
Meta.
Cathode: what happens during
electrolysis Current
Carries Cations to the Cathode for
reduCtion.
Cis/trans (geometric) isomer
nomenclature
The letter
"Z" is
written in a zigzag way. If you draw a
vertical line splitting it down the
middle then its the same halves (same sides of
double bond). The letter "E" is
written differently so a vertical line splits
it into different halves
(different sides of double bond).
Cis/trans (geometric) isomers: arrangement of
functional groups
Cis starts with a C and the
functional groups form a C.
Trans, therefore is the other one by default.
Pompe's disease:
type "Police = Po + lys":
Pompe's disease is a lysosomal storage
disease (alpha 1,4
glucosidase).
Golgi complex:
functions "Golgi Distributes A SPAM":
Distributes proteins and lipids from ER
Add mannose onto specific lysosome proteins
Sulfation of sugars and slected tyrosine
Proteoglycan assembly
Add O-oligosugars to serine and threnonine
Modify N-ologosugars on asparagine
Dicarboxylic acids (alpha, omega) C2 through
C10: common names
"Oh My, Such Good Apple Pie, Sweet
As Sugar!":
Oxalic
Malonic
Succinic
Glutaric
Adipic
Pimelic
Suberic
Azelaic
Sebacic
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