Human Anatomy Mnemonics

While in first year of your medical career, 1st year mbbs Anatomy is tough nut to crack, alongside with Physiology and Biochemistry. In this blog, we have covered all mnemonics for anatomy. They will help in learning anatomy thoroughly.

Mnemonics in anatomy are used to learn all those tough name and series and vessels, bones, arteries, muscles, cranial nerves etc.

We have covered in multiple pages the mnemonics of Abdomen, heart, upper limb, lower limb, muscles, bones, thorax, elbow, brain, head and neck, back, cranial nerves mnemonics of anatomy.

Bowel components

“Dow Jones Industrial Average Closing S tock Report“:
From proximal to distal:
Duodenum
Jejunum
Ileum
Appendix
Colon
Sigmoid
Rectum
Alternatively: to include the cecum, “Dow Jones Industrial Climbing Average Closing S tock Report”.

“Dublin Sisters Ceramic Red Colored Jewelry Apparently Illegal“:
2-4 letters of each component:
Duodenum
Sigmoid
Cecum
Rectum
Colon
Jejunum
Appendix
Ileum

Diaphragm apertures

“3 holes, each with 3 things going through it“:
Aortic hiatus: aorta, thoracic duct, azygous vein.
Esophageal hiatus: esophagus, vagal trunks, left gastric vessels.
Caval foramen: inferior vena cava, right phrenic nerve, lymph nodes.

Diaphragm apertures: spinal levels

Aortic hiatus = 12 letters = T12
Oesophagus = 10 letters = T10
Vena cava = 8 letters = T8

Duodenum: lengths of parts

“Counting 1 to 4 but staggered“:
1st part: 2 inches
2nd part: 3 inches
3rd part: 4 inches
4th part: 1 inch

Liver inferior markings showing right/left lobe vs. vascular divisions

There’s a Hepatic “H” on inferior of liver. One vertical stick of the H is the dividing line for anatomical right/left lobe and the other vertical stick is the divider for vascular halves. Stick that divides the liver into vascular halves is the one with vena cava impression (since vena cava carries blood, it’s fortunate that it’s the divider for blood halves)

Meckel’s diverticulum details

2 inches long.
2 feet from end of ileum.
2 times more common in men.
2% occurrence in population.
2 types of tissues may be present.
Note: “di-” means “two”, so diverticulum is the thing with all the twos.

Murphy’s point organ [for Irish]

“Murphy was an Irishman (and Murphy is a classic Irish surname), and Ireland=green”: Green organ in body is gallbladder, so Murphy’s point is the gall bladder.

Aorta vs. vena cava: right vs. left

Aorta and right each have 5 letters, so aorta is on the right.
Vena and cava and left each have 4 letters, so vena cava is on the left.

Aortic arch: major branch order

“Know your ABC’S“:
Aortic arch gives rise to:
Brachiocephalic trunk
left Common Carotid
left S ubclavian
Beware though trick question of ‘What is first branch of aorta?’ Technically, it’s the coronary arteries.

Atrioventricular valves

“LAB RAT“:
Left Atrium: Bicuspid
Right Atrium: Tricuspid

Axillary artery branches

“S end The Lord to S ay A Prayer“:
From proximal to distal:
S uperior thoracic
Thoracacromial
Lateral thoracic
S ubscapular
Anterior circumflex humeral
Posterior circumflex humeral

Axillary artery branches

”Suzy Thompkins Loves Sex, Alcohol, and Pot“:
From proximal to distal:
S uperior thoracic
Thoracacromial
Lateral thoracic
S ubscapular
Anterior circumflex humeral
Posterior circumflex humeral

Axillary artery branches

“Screw The Lawyer Save A Patient“:
S uperior thoracic
Thoracoacromiol
Lateral thoracic
S ubscapular
Anterior circumflex humeral
Posterior circumflex humeral
Alternatively: “Some Times Life Seems A Pain”.

Brachial artery is medial to biceps tendon

“BAMBI“:
Brachial Artery is Medial to Biceps In elbow.

Brachial artery: recurrent and collateral branches

“I Am Pretty Sexy“
Inferior ulnar collateral artery goes with Anterior ulnar recurrent artery.
Posterior ulnar recurrent artery goes with S uperior ulnar collateral artery.
Alternatively: “I Am Pretty Smart”.

Branches of Internal Iliac Artery

“I Love Going Places In My Very Own Underwear“:
Ileolumbar
Lateral sacral
Gluteal (superior and inferior)
Pudendal (internal)
Inferior vesicle (uterine in females)
Middle rectal
Vaginal
Obturator
Umbilical

Cardiac valves: order in circuit

“TRI berore you BI“:
Tricuspid valve is located in left heart and Bicuspid valve is located in right heart. Blood flows through the tricuspid before bicuspid.

Carotid sheath contents

”I See 10 CC’s in the IV“:
I See (I.C.) = Internal Carotid artery
10 = CN 10 (Vagus nerve)
CC = Common Carotid artery
IV = Internal Jugular Vein

Cavernous sinus contents

O TOM CAT:
O TOM are lateral wall components, in order from superior to inferior.
CA are the components within the sinus, from medial to lateral. CA ends at the level of T from O TOM.
See diagram.

Occulomotor nerve (III)
Trochlear nerve (IV)
Ophthalmic nerve (V1)
Maxillary nerve (V2)
Carotid artery
Abducent nerve (VI)
T: When written, connects to the T of OTOM.

Coelic trunk: branches

Left Hand S ide (LHS):
Left gastric artery
Hepatic artery
S plenic artery

Descending abdominal aorta branches from diaphragm to iliacs

“Prostitutes Cause Sagging Swollen Red Testicles [in men] Living In Sin“:
Phrenic [inferior]
Celiac
Superior mesenteric
Suprarenal [middle]
Renal
Testicular [“in men” only]
Lumbars
Inferior mesenteric
Sacral

Descending abdominal aorta: seven divisions

“Sometimes Intestines Get Really Stretched Causing Leakage“:
Suprarenals [paired]
Inferior mesenteric
Gonadal [paired]
Renals [paired]
Superior mesenteric
Celiac
Lumbar [paired]

External carotid artery branches

StApLE OPIS:
Superior thyroid
Ascending pharyngeal
Lingual
External maxillary (facial)
Occipital
Posterior auricular
Internal maxillary
Superficial temporal

External jugular vein: tributaries

PAST:
Posterior external jugular vein
Anterior jugular vein
Suprascapular vein
Transverse cervical vein

Female pelvic organs’ blood supply

“3 organs, each get 2 blood supplies“:
Uterus: uterine, vaginal.
Rectum: middle rectal, inferior rectal [inferior rectal is the end of pudendal].
Bladder: superior vesical, inferior vesical.