5 biochemistry mnemonics to help you on the MCAT

Tired of trying to memorize the same complicated enzymes and pathways? Learn these concepts quicker with the following mnemonics:

Glycolysis intermediates: “Goodness Gracious, Father Franklin Did Go By Picking Pumpkins (to) Prepare Pies”

Does memorizing the glycolysis pathway leave a bitter taste in your mouth? Remember the intermediates easily with this sweet mnemonic!

Goodness - Glucose

Gracious - Glucose-6-Phosphate (G6P)

Father - Fructose-6-Phosphate

Franklin - Fructose-1,6-Bisphosphate

Did - Dihydroxyacetone Phospate (DHAP)

Go - Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate (G3P)
By - 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate
Picking - 3-Phosphoglycerate
Pumpkins - 2-Phosphoglycerate
(To)
Prepare - Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)

Pies - Pyruvate

Glycolysis enzymes: “Hungry Peter Pan And (The) Growling Pink Panther Eat Pies”

The enzymes involved in glycolysis can also be remembered with a pie-related mnemonic! The order of enzymes in glycolysis are:

Hungry - Hexokinase

Peter - Phosphoglucose Isomerase

Pan - Phosphofructokinase 

And - Aldolase

(The) 

Growling - G3P Dehydrogenase
Pink - Phosphoglycerate Kinase

Panther - Phosphoglycerate Mutase

Eat - Enolase

Pies - Pyruvate Kinase

Krebs cycle intermediates:  “Can I Keep Selling Soda For Money, Officer?”

Mastered glycolysis? Learn the Krebs cycle intermediates next with this classic mnemonic! The intermediates in the Krebs cycle are:

Can - Citrate

I - Isocitrate

Keep - a-Ketogluterate

Selling - Succinyl CoA

Soda - Succinate

For - Fumarate

Money - Malate

Officer - Oxaloacetate

DNA - Pure Guardian Angels have Two wings

If you ever get confused about DNA base classifications, this is the mnemonic for you! This mnemonic can help you remember that the PURines (PURe) are Guanine and Adenosine (Guardian Angels), and that purines have Two rings (Two wings)!

Nonpolar amino acids - Priceless Vehicles Take Me Around Galleries In London

What are the nonpolar amino acids anyways? You’ll find out in London!

Priceless -  Proline

Vehicles - Valine

Take - Tryptophan

Me - Methionine

Around - Alanine

Galleries - Glycine

In - Isoleucine

London - Leucine

Sources

• https://firstaidteam.com/2019/10/21/sweet-pumpkin-pie-a-glycolysis-mnemonic/
• https://firstaidteam.com/2019/10/21/sweet-pumpkin-pie-a-glycolysis-mnemonic/
• https://www.thevirtualnotebook.com/krebs-cycle-mnemonic-steps-regulations/
• https://dr-notes.com/uploads/books/Shahid/2023/01/02/genetics-mnemonics-pdf-pg6.pdf