Pyruvate goes through the membrane...

One of my favorite ways to memorize information is through strange phrases and songs. I'll share a few of them now.

For AP Biology there were a few, but in particular the song for memorizing the reactions between glycolysis and the Krebs cycle of aerobic respiration stuck with me. It should be sung to the tune of "Frere Jacques." I will warn you in advance that the last few lines are crammed full of more words than should really fit.

Pyruvate goes
   through the membrane
And loses its carboxyl group
   as CO2
Then NAD+ is reduced
   and Coenzyme-A is added
And you end up with acetyl-Coenzyme-A
   with a weak sulfide bond

For our next academic song, we move on to CHEM 112 during my second semester. This song is sung to the tune of "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" from the musical "Oklahoma!" (preferably with a twang) and helps you remember the seven strong acids.

Well there are seven strong acids,
And you should know them right well.
Those seven fine, strong acids -
Mem'rizin' them would be swell

HCl, HBr, HI,
HNO3 belongs, too.
HClO3 and -O4.
H2SO4 loves you.

Those are the seven strong acids.
Aren't you glad you know this song?
If you can sing it in your head
There ain't no way you'll go wrong.

Organic Chemistry in my third semester has inspired a set of phrases for differentiating between the two types of stereoisomers: enantiomers and diastereomers.

For enantiomers (mirror images): An (en-) aunt (-ant-) of mine likes to look in mirrors.

For diastereomers (non-mirror images): You will die (di-) if you look at a basilisk's eyes and you do not non have a mirror.

I also have an o-chem song for remembering the order of priority for numbering functional groups according to the IUPAC system, and I'm working on one for memorizing why certain reactions work the way they do. Here's the IUPAC numbering priority system to the tune of "Hey Jude" (yes, I did skip a few verses and whatnot, but you should be able to follow it):

Hey Jude, don't make it bad;
take a long list and make it better.
Remember to put it into a song
to know IUPAC numb'ring order.

So let it out and let it in:
acids, esters, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols.
Look at you, you're halfway through:
amines, alkenes, alkynes, alkanes, ethers, and halides.

Na, na, na, na-na-na naaa
Na-na-na naaa...

I often do this for Bible verses as well. I've got Colossians 1:9-14 memorized to the tune of "Starlight" by Muse, Psalm 63:5-8 to the tune of "Hotel Yorba" by The White Stripes, 1 John 1:7-10 to the tune of "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin, and many others. Those are all quite long since I memorized them for Forge, otherwise I'd put them on here. That's all for now, but I'll add new songs as they come into being.