Friday, February 26, 2010

Medical word parts -alba-, albumin-


Using association and mnemonic memory techniques to remember useful educational information for a lifetime is the goal of Struggling Student's Memory Guide.


blue emboldened words are common or college terms that can be used for association purposes.


reddish brown emboldened words are medical terms that should be looked up in a medical dictionary for their figurative meanings.




alba- from L. albus, white, means "white, like cooked egg white or the protein in egg white". [albino, a person with white hair and pink skin, album, orig. a Roman's white tablet on whic important lists and edicts were written, albocinerous, lit. relating to white (matter) and gray (matter), albugo, lit. white spot, albumin]


albumin- from L. albumen, the white of eggs, means "albumin, a protein found in egg white, milk, muscle and other animal and vegetable substances". [albumen, lit./fig. the white of eggs (note the "e" in its spelling), albuminaturia, lit. albumin urine condition, albuminiferous, lit. bearing albumin, albuminoptysis, lit. spitting albumin, albumoscope, lit. albumin viewing instrument]


Because word association should be adequate for long-term memory purposes no memory story was created for these word parts.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Medical word part -ala- and -pter-


Using substitute words, visualization, and creativity combined to create associations and mnemonic memory techniques lets us eliminate rote memorization and make the memory process faster, more reliable, and even entertaining.


blue emboldened words are common or college terms that can be used for association purposes.


reddish brown emboldened words are medical terms that should be looked up in a medical dictionary for their figurative meanings.


orange emboldened words are from other fields of study that may be of interest.




-ala- from L. ala, wing means "a winglike structure". [aileron, in aeronautics, a hinged auxiliary wing, aisle, [helpful?] the passage along the wing of pews in a church, ala nasi, lit. the wing of the nose, alar, lit. relating to a wing, aliform, lit. wing shaped, ailes de pigeon, Fr. powdered side curls once worn by men]


-pter-, -ptero-, pterygo- from Gr. pteron, pteryx, pterygos means "wing, feather, or having something to do with the wing-shaped pterygoid process". [helicopter, lit. helix winged, epipteric, lit. around a wing shaped process, pteridine, Chem. lit. (butterfly) wing substance, pterion, lit. wing craniometric point, pterygium, lit. like wing, pterygoid, lit. wing shaped, pterygoma, lit. wing swelling, pterygomandibular, lit. relating the pterygoid process and mandible, pteryadactyl, Paleo. lit. wing finger (dinosaur), fig. the flying dinosaur, Pteris, Bot. a fern genus]


Memory Story: You're enjoying an epicurean delight by French chef Peter called Wings a la P'ter (-ala-, -pter-). They're so light the literally fly into your mouth.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Medical word parts ali-, -alesce, and -esce


Using mnemonics and association to remember medical word part meanings and build a medical vocabulary faster and keeping it interesting. That and remembering other educational information is the goal of Struggling Student's Memory Guide.


blue emboldened words are common or college terms that can be used for word association purpose.


reddish brown emboldened words are medical terms that should be looked up in a medical dictionary for their figurative meanings.



-al-, -ali- from L. alo, nourish means "nourishment". [alimony, lit. sustenance or result of nourishment, fig. support paid by one spouse to another after a divorce, alible, lit. capable of nourishing, alimentary, lit. relating to nourishing]

-esce from L. -esce, to begin to, means "the beginning stages, inchoate". [detumescence, lit. swelling that's beginning to reverse, fig. swelling that's stopped and beginning to recede, iridescence, lit./fig. becoming rainbow colored, putrescent, lit. that which is beginning to rot, calorescence, lit. the state of beginning to heat, fluorescent, lit. that which is beginning to fluoresce]

-alesce from L. alescere, to grow, means "the beginning stage of growing" from al-, nourishment + -esce, the beginning stage. [coalesce, lit. to begin to grow together, fig. to fuse or cause to grow together, convalesce, lit. begin to grow strong, fig. recuperate]

Memory Story: You're in the alley (ali-, not related) behind your house giving nourishment to hundreds of alley cats until you run out of food. Uh oh. You're in trouble.

Memory Story: You're Alice (-alesce, not related) and beginning to grow back to normal size after leaving Wonderland.

Memory Story: [For remembering -esce and the word "inchoate's" meaning.] Years ago Sadaam Hussein is looking at a big map of Middle East and says, "Let's see. (-esce) I think I'll begin in Kuwait (inchoate).

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Medical word part -agra-


Using association and mnemonic memory techniques high school students could remember over a thousand medical word parts meanings in about a hundred days. Any high school student who takes the time to do this would have the fundamental vocabulary building blocks they'll need in Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology or almost any other health science course. That's without studying Greek or Latin folks.


reddish brown emboldened words are medical terms that should be looked up in a medical dictionary for their figurative meanings.




-agra- from Gr. agra, means "acute pain or seizure". [cardiagra, lit. heart seizure, cheiragra, lit. acute hand pain, melagra, lit. limb seizure, podagra, lit. acute foot pain, staphylagra, lit. (grape) uvula (seizer) holder]

Memory Story: You're a paparazzi taking numerous pictures of a famous honeymooning couple in Niagara (-agra-, not related) Falls until you aggravate (-agra-, not related) the new groom so much he has an acute pain in his chest, followed by a seizure and dies. Well he was a ninety year old tycoon and she was a twenty year old stripper. Fortunately the scandal sheet you work for will pay big bucks for your picture taken of the dead groom and smiling bride.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Medical word part -agog-, -agogue


If every high school student remembered the meanings of about a thousand medical word parts they'd have the fundamental building blocks of a medical vocabulary. The Struggling Student's Memory Guide goal is to help them remember these word parts meanings and other important educational information faster and more efficiently using association and mnemonic memory techniques.


blue emboldened words are common or college terms that can be use for word association purposes.


reddish brown emboldened words are medical terms that should be looked up in a medical dictionary for their figurative meanings.




-agog-, -agogue from Gr. agogos, leading forth means "leader, a stimulant, or a drawing forth". [demagogue, lit. people leader, fig. rabble rouser, pedagogue, lit. child leader, fig. educator, galactagogue, lit. milk stimulant, helminthagogue, lit. drawing forth worms, hydragogue, lit. drawing forth water]


Memory Story: You're an ancient Egyptian courtier whose Pharaoh has just died. They bring out you new leader whose first words are "ah goo goo". (-agog-) And. You think you're going to die. You have discovered the hard way that a grog (-agog-, not related) made from raisins, sugar, and yeast, created in the basement of the local fraternity, stimulates simultaneous emesis and diarrhea. You've never been stimulated like this before and hope it never happens again.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Medical word agapism

If every high school student remembered the meanings of a little over a thousand medical word parts they'd have the fundamental vocabulary building blocks to become the doctors and other health science professionals of tomorrow. Struggling Student's Memory Guide uses long-term memory techniques like association and mnemonics to make this endeavor more efficient and more  entertaining than using rote memorization, the much maligned short-term memory technique we all know too well. 


orange emboldened words are terms from other fields of study that some people may find helpful and interesting.


reddish brown emboldened words are medical terms that should be looked up in a medical dictionary for their figurative meanings.

Medical term and memory story from High Speed Memory Techniques for Medical Terminology.

agapism from Gr. agape means "brotherly love, non-sexual love". [agapanthus, Bot. lit. the flower of brotherly love, fig. the common lily of the Nile]


Memory Story: [You're a groom.] It's your wedding night and there's a ten foot gap (agape, not related) and a string of barbed wire between the two beds in your honeymoon suite. She always said she loved you like a brother and she plans to keep it that way.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Medical word part aesthes-, -esthes-


If every high school student remembered the meanings of about a thousand medical word parts they'd have the fundamental vocabulary building blocks to become the doctors and health science professionals of tomorrow. The Struggling Student's Memory Guide, medical word part blogs; are here to help students remember these word part meanings faster and more efficiently using association and mnemonic memory techniques.

blue emboldened words are common or college terms that can be used for word association purposes.

reddish brown emboldened words are medical terms that should be looked up in a medical dictionary for their figurative meanings.

Word part and memory story from High Speed Memory Techniques for Medical Terminology.

aesthes-, -esthes- from Gr. aesthesis, sensation, means "sensation, feelings, or perception". [anesthesia, lit. without sensation condition, fig. a loss of body sensation either with or without the loss of consciousness, aesthetics, lit. the study of perception and feelings, fig. the theory or philosophy of beauty or taste, esthesiodic, lit. a way sensation, esthesioneurosis, lit. sensory nerve condition, paresthesia, lit. sensation alongside]

Memory Story: "Is this (-esthes-) sensitive?" asks the probing doctor as you wince in pain. And. [You're a guy with an unhappy girlfriend.] "Is this (-esthes-) the way you feel?" you ask picking up the ring that was thrown in your face. Or. [This story is not in my book but I like it the most.] You're the doctor in charge of a drug abuse study. Your patient PuFfS (perception, feeling, sensation) on a drug that induces anesthesia and tells you the various sensations, feelings, and perceptions, or loss thereof, he's experiencing as he begins to go into a deep sleep.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Medical word parts -aero-, arteri-, aort-, meteor-


If every high school student remembered the meanings of about a thousand medical word parts they'd have the fundamental vocabulary to become the doctors and scientists of tomorrow. The Struggling Student's Memory Guide goal is to help them remember these word part meanings and other important educational information faster and more efficiently using association and mnemonic memory techniques.


blue emboldened words are common or college terms that can be used for word association purposes.


reddish brown emboldened word are medical terms that should be looked up in a medical dictionary for their figurative meanings.




aer-, aero- from L aer, means "air, oxygen, or gas". [aeroplane, aerospace, meteor, lit. beyond the air, fig. a shooting star, aeremia, lit. air blood condition, aerobe, lit. air (oxygen) life, aerocolpos, lit. vagina gas, aerogenesis, lit. gas production, aerophagia, lit. air eating condition, aorta, artery, meteorism]

arteri-, arterio-, grom Gr. arteria, orig. windpipe, and akin to aero means "arteria or artery". [artery, a vessel for carrying blood from the heart to the body, arteriarctia, lit. artery constriction condition, arteriectasis, lit. artery stretching out, arteriogram, lit. artery picture,
arteriola, arteriopalmus, lit. artery throbbing, arteriosclerosis, lit. hardening of the arteries disease]

arteriolo- from L. arteriola, the diminutive of Gr. arteria, orig. windpipe, means "arteriola or diminutive artery". [arteriolonecrosis, lit. diminutive artery killing process, arteriolovenous, lit. having to do with both arterioles and veins]

aort-, aorto- from Gr. aerien, to lift, to heave, means "aorta, the large main truck artery that carries blood from the left heart ventricle to the branch arteries". [aortalgia, lit. aorta pain condition, aortarctia, lit. aorta narrowness condition, aortectasis, lit. aorta stretching condition, aortoptosis, lit. aorta falling condition]


meteor- from Gr. meteora, things high in the air from meta-, over or beyond + aero, air, medically means "having to do with the weather, tympanites, or meteors". [meteor, lit. beyond the air, fig. a shooting star, meteorology, the science of the atmosphere and its weather, meteorism, lit. a lifting up, meteoropathy, lit. suffering from the weather, meteorophobia, lit. fear of meteors, meteorotropic, lit. weather turning]

All these word part meanings can be associated using common words we already know so memory stories were not created.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Memorizing medical/scientific word part aeluro-, ailuro-


The goal of Struggling Student's Memory Guide is to develop ways to use association and mnemonic memory techniques, instead of rote memorization, to remember educational information we can use for a lifetime.


reddish brown emboldened words are medical terms that should be looked up in a medical dictionary for their figurative meanings.




aeluro-, ailuro- from Gr. ailuros, means "cat". [Aelurostrongylus, lit. cat round (worm), ailurophobia, lit. fear of cats condition.]


Memory Story: You allure (aeluro-, not related) a cat with a lure (ailuro-) from your fishing pole.


Mnemonic's Phonetic System or How to Remember Numbers

If you've ever watched a "Memory Expert" memorize a shuffled deck of cards, a hundred digit number in a few minutes, or a list of things in numerical order, they're probably using the Mnemonic's Phonetic System or some variation of it.

In education, numbers, dates, alphanumerics, formulas, and equations can be remembered for a lifetime using Mnemonic's Phonetic System but most people won't take the time to even try it because after all, we can always Google that stuff, right? Sure if the only thing you like to ponder is what's for dinner and on television tonight, why remember anything? But if you're not mentally lazy you will be amazed with what you can do with Mnemonic's Phonetic System. Once you get good at it you'll wonder why it isn't taught in the fourth grade because all it is is a code that turns numbers into phonetic sounds which we convert into words which we can turn into visual images. We're going to focus on historical dates in this blog but the uses of Mnemonic's Phonetic System is limitless.

Mnemonic's Phonetic System
  • One is the phonetic sounds "t or d". Made memorable by t or d only having one foot.

  • Two is the phonetic sound "n". Made memorable by n having two feet.

  • Three is the phonetic sound "m". Made memorable by m having three feet.

  • Four is the phonetic sound "r". Made memorable by four's phonetic "r".

  • Five is the phonetic sound "l". Made memorable by holding up your outstretched left hand and the L being created with the thumb and forefinger.

  • Six is the phonetic sounds "sh, ch, soft j or soft g". Made memorable by J and G "kind of" looking like a six.

  • Seven is the phonetic sounds "k, hard g, or hard c". Made memorable by two sevens being used to create a printed K.

  • Eight is the phonetic sounds "f or v". Made memorable because a handwritten "f" looks like an eight.

  • Nine is the phonetic sounds "p or b". Made memorable because p or b look like a nine.

  • Zero is the phonetic sounds "z or s". Made memorable because zero starts with the letter z.

Here's a little personal addition I've made to the phonetic system. Anyone wanting to remember lots and lots of dates in history that includes the month and day may find it more efficient to use a twelve month code: January is one or "t or d" of course, but instead of October being ten we use zero or "s or z". Then instead of November being eleven it can be the phonetic "h" and December can be the phonetic "w or wh". The objective here is to eliminate what we don't need and streamline the mnemonics as much as possible.

Before we start, there is one confusing rule to using Mnemonic's Phonetic System that most people get wrong from the beginning, myself included. The rule is: It's the phonetic sound and not the spelling. So the word "little" is 515 and not 5115 and "puppy" is 99 and not 999.

Now let's do the year Columbus discovered the Americas, 1492. 1492 can be "tripping, turban, turbine, etc." Memory Story: We visualize ourselves as Columbus "tripping" over an oar as we get out of the boat in America and landing face first in the water amidst uproarious laughter from our crew. That is until they see the look on my face. But do we really need to remember the "1" in 1492? We know which millenium it happened. So how about "ribbon, roping, raping, etc.?

Let's do the day Julius Caesar was assassinated in the Senate of Rome, March 15th 44 BCE. We know Julius Caesar died almost a hundred years before Jesus Christ so we don't have to worry about the BCE. So it's 3-15-44. I use "metal rare". Memory Story: You are Julius Caesar and notice the dagger that's about to enter your body is a "rare metal" like gold.

Those two were easy so let's challenge ourselves a little. Let's add some alphanumeric codes for the Battle of Hastings on October 14th 1066 with William I's Norse army beating and killing Harold II and beating his Saxon army. William can be W1 and Harold II can be H2. We want to put the victor first in our alphanumeric code so we convert W1H2 to "WeT HeN" and add a NoSe to our wet hen for Norse beating the Saxon army. Memory Story: We're at the Battle of Hastings and a WeT HeN with a giant NoSe is on a "steer" (October 14th or 014) that "does a chacha" (1066) around a haystack of hay that stings. I guess the farmer got some stinging nettle in the hay and the steer and wet hen found it.

Wars are no longer decided in one decisive battle and as we all know can last for years. To remember WWI 1914-18 we can eliminate all the numbers possible to become 914-8 or "petrify". Memory Story: It's a Twilight Zone moment when you walk through the battlefields and trenches of France and everything and everyone is like "petrify" stone. (Can't use "petrified" here or it'll change to 91481.)

The Civil War 1861-5 can be shortened to 861-5 or "fishtail". Memory Story: The North and South are fighting over a "fishtail". Once we've visualized "fishtail" we don't need 186_ for other important dates during the Civil War. April 9th 1865 can become 4-9-5 or "rebel" for the surrendering of Lee's army or the assassination of Abraham Lincoln on April 14th 1865 can become 4-14-5 for "red roll" or "arterial" and I'll let you create your own memory stories for these dates.

WWII from 1939 to 1945 can be shortened to 39-45 or "mob rule" because we know it took place in the 1900s. Once we have the years down we can turn Japans attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7th 1941 into (using "w" for December) "wicked". Believe me, that's a lot easier to phonetically code and create a visualization for than 12-7-1941.

Last but not least we may want to remember something like the Thirty Years War from 1618-1648. How about "mouse" for thirty and "shot off a roof". Memory Story: A mouse "shot off a roof" in the Thirty Years War. Maybe a castle roof and I'll let you come up with your own mouse character that goes around shooting off castle roofs.

This is just for dates and believe me we've only just begun. The next subject we're going to use Mnemonic's Phonetic System in is Chemistry's Periodic Table. Hopefully next week. Til then have fun practicing the phonetic system on phone numbers, license plates, and whatever you fancy.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Memorizing medical/scientific word parts -adren-, -ren-, -nephr-


The goal of Struggling Student's Memory Guide is to develop ways to use association and mnemonic memory techniques, instead of rote memorization, to remember educational information we can use for a lifetime.


blue emboldened words are common or college terms that can be used for word association purposes.


reddish brown emboldened words are medical terms that should be looked up in a medical dictionary for their figurative meanings.





-adren-, adreno- from L. ad-, to + rena, kidney, lit. adjacent to the kidney, means "having to do with the adrenal glands". [Adrenalin, lit. adrenal compound, fig. trademark for epinephrine, adrenaline, lit. adrenal compound, adrenalectomy, lit. adrenal gland excision]



-ren-, reni-, reno- from L. ren means "kidney". [adrenal, lit. relating to towards (near) the kidney, perirenal, lit. relating to around the kidney, reniculus, lit. a diminutive kidney, renoprival, lit. relating to taking away a kidney]

-nephr-,-nephro- from Gr. nephros, means "kidney". [epinephrine, lit. on, upon, or attached to the kidney, nephrapostasis, lit. standing away from the kidney, nephrelcosis, lit. kidney ulcer condition, nephric, lit. relating to the kidney, nephrocalcinosis, lit. kidney stone condition, nephrotome, lit. kidney knife, nephrotomy, lit. kidney incision, nephrotresis, lit. kidney boring, pernephrium, lit. around the kidney]

Memory Story: "Never (-nephr-) rent (-ren-) a kidney suite in Reno", (-reno-, not related) said your friend who came to your "Come As Your Favorite Viscera Party" in a torn and tattered kidney costume.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Memorizing medical/scientific word parts -aden-, -adeno-


The goal of Struggling Student's Memory Guide is to develop ways to use association and mnemonic memory techniques, instead of rote memorization, to remember educational information we can use for a lifetime.


blue emboldened words are common or college terms that can be used for word association purposes.


reddish brown emboldened words are medical terms that should be looked up in a medical dictionary for their figurative meanings.




-aden-, -adeno- from Gr. aden, means "gland". [adenoids, lit. like glands or looks like glands, fig. lymphoid tissue, adenogenesis, lit. the production of a gland, adenodiastasis, lit. standing apart from a gland, adenoleiomyofibroma, lit. gland smooth muscle fibrous tumor]


Memory Story: You're in a den (-aden-, not related) full of guys with sweat glands and other glandular problems. What fun, watching football and voluptuous cheerleaders.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Memorizing medical/scientific word part meanings for -adip- and lipo-


The goal of Struggling Student's Memory Guide is to develop ways to use association and mnemonic memory techniques, instead of rote memorization, to remember educational information we can use for a lifetime.


blue emboldened words are common or college terms that can be used for word association purposes.


reddish brown emboldened words are medical terms that should be looked up in a medical dictionary for their figurative meanings.



-adip-, -adipo- from L. adeps, adipis, means "fat". [adeps, lit. fat, adipocele, lit. fat tumor, adiposis, lit. fat condition]


-lip-, -lipo- from Gr. lipos, fat means "fat or having to do with lipid". [liposuction, lit./fig. the act or process of sucking fat, lipochrome, lit. lipid color, lipocrit, lit. lipid separate, lipofuscin, lit. dark fat substance, lipolipoidosis, lit. fat and resembling fat state or condition, lipolysis, lit. fat dissolving, lipoxanthine, lit. yellow lipochrome substance]

Memory Story: You're a cowboy and offer a female model a big pinch of snuff saying, "Don't go to the plastic surgeon little lady. A dip (-adip-, not related) behind the lip (-lipo-, not related) will give you those puffy fat lips you want", while showing her your protruding juice filled lips.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Memorizing medical/scientific word part -adelph-


The goal of Struggling Student's Memory Guide is to develop ways to use association and mnemonic memory techniques, instead of rote memorization, to remember educational information we can use for a lifetime.


blue emboldened words are common or college terms that can be used for word association purposes.


reddish brown emboldened words are medical terms that should be looked up in a medical dictionary for their figurative meanings.




-adelph- from Gr. adelphos, means "brother". [Philadelphia, lit. (city of) brotherly love, deradelphus, lit. neck brothers, heteradelphus, lit. other brothers.]


There's no memory story because the association to the common term or terms should be adequate for memory purposes.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Memorizing the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America

The goal of Struggling Student's Memory Guide is to develop ways to use association and mnemonic memory techniques, instead of rote memorization, to remember educational information we can use for a lifetime.

We've already covered ways to memorize the Bill of Rights amendments. I wanted everyone to use the Loci technique on something less challenging like the fifth amendment before we took up the Preamble.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Loci technique and don't want to go back to my fifth amendment blog, it's making visual associations to things in a place we're very familiar with like our house, school, job, or shopping mall.

To memorize the Preamble I'm going to ask you to use a drive through fast food restaurant you frequent as a Loci and I want you to pretend you're the manager or owner. But first we need the Preamble.

WE THE PEOPLE of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Memory Story in a Loci: You're standing at the drive up window of your restaurant when here comes your most difficult customers. It's the Weed People of the United States, [We the People of the United States] a rather strange back to nature group that covers themselves with weeds and who live only in the United States.

They come up to your drive-up window and they give you an order to form a more perfect onion, [in order to form a more perfect union]. It seems they're very particular about the appearance of your fried onion blossom specialty and want their order done again right.

You turn to your helper Justice who is putting on her makeup again. "Is that blush Justice?" [establish justice] you ask her. Why Justice puts on makeup all the time is a mystery since Justice is blind but she's great at forming perfect onion blossoms.

Now you leave the cooking area and enter the customer section where you must make your own loci associations. You go to the next loci to insure a dome is sick of tranquilizers [insure domestic tranquility] by pouring more tranquilizers down it's throat until the dome throws them up.

Then you provide for the common "D" fence, [provide for the common defense] by stacking up the new D shaped fence parts that surround your restaurant. You're always having them stolen by people with the initial D and have to provide new ones all the time.

Then you go over and promote the General's welfare. [promote the general welfare] The General's a broken down old guy but you try to make sure he gets enough to eat and you call him general because he's always wearing worn out camouflage uniforms with stars on the collars. Poor old guy but with your promotion you can always get a customer to buy him a meal.

And then you secure the blessings of Lady Liberty to yourself and all the customers that she tosses her blessings to with safety pins. [and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves] Lady Liberty comes in from church and wants to bless everyone so she's made up little paper blessings and your customers love to secure the blessings to their shirts and dresses.

Any blessings that don't get picked up you pin to all your posters in the windows. [and our posterity]

Then you go over and put a hairdo on your dane. [do ordain] Yea, your great dane looks kind of strange with that "do" job but the customers love to see him and his latest hairstyle. This week he looks like Elvis.

Oh no. Is that blush all over your next loci? [and establish]

Your next restaurant loci has a giant copy of the Constitution connected to it somehow. [this Constitution]

Your next restaurant loci has a golfer yelling "fore". [for]

And now the struck golf ball goes flying smack into a map of the United States of America. [the United States of America]

Visually run the Preamble loci around in your head for a day or two until you've got it down and then I'm going to ask you to try something different just for fun. Say the Preamble backwards using the phrases you memorized it in. [the United States of America, for, this Constitution, and establish, do ordain, etc.] Then leave the preamble alone for a month and see how much you remember.

Memorizing medical/scientifc word part adamant-


The goal of Struggling Student's Memory Guide is to develop ways to use association and mnemonic memory techniques, instead of rote memorization, to remember educational information we can use for a lifetime.

blue emboldened words are common or college terms that can be used for word association purposes.

reddish brown emboldened words are medical terms that should be looked up in a medical dictionary for their figurative meanings.

Word part from High Speed Memory Techniques for Medical Terminology.

adamant-, adamanto- from Gr. adamantinos, not subdued, means "exceedingly hard". [diamond, adamant, lit. that which is exceedingly hard, fig. inexorable; intransigent, adamantine, lit. very hard characteristic]


No memory story was necessary for this word part's memorization.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Memorizing medical/scientific word part ad-, -ad


The goal of Struggling Student's Memory Guide is to develop ways to use association and mnemonic memory techniques, instead of using rote memorization, to remember educational information we can use for a lifetime.


blue emboldened words are common or college terms that can be used for word association purposes.


reddish brown emboldened words are medical terms that should be looked up in a medical dictionary for their figurative meanings.


Word parts and memory story from High Speed Memory Techniques for Medical Terminology.

ad- from L. ad, to means "to, unto, towards". [ad- has numerous variants: ab-, ac-, ag-, af-, al-, am-, an-, ap-, ar-, as-, and at-] [advertise, lit. cause to turn towards, affect, lit. to do to, fig. to have an effect on, annihilate, lit. to make nothing, fig. to kill in large numbers, attend, lit. to stretch towards, fig. to direct the attention to, adduct, lit. to bring towards, adventitia, lit. coming towards, appendix, lit. to hang, apposition, lit. to place towards] (see a-, an-)

-ad from L. ad, to means "towards". [anconad, lit. towards the elbow, caudad, lit. towards the tail, dorsad, lit. towards the back, entad, lit. towards the interior]

Memory Story: You're on the Net and see nothing but ads (ad-, -ad) coming towards you. Damn popups.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Memorizing medical/scientific word parts -acu-[2] and belone-


The goal of Struggling Student's Memory Guide is to develop ways to use association and mnemonic memory techniques, instead of rote memorization, to remember educational information we can use for a lifetime.


blue emboldened words are common or college terms that can be use for word association purposes.


reddish brown emboldened words are medical terms that should be looked up in a medical dictionary for their figurative meanings.



-acu-[2] from L. acus means "needle". [acupuncture, lit. needle pricking, aculeate, lit. diminutive spine characteristic, Acuaria spiralis, lit. needle animal group - spiraled, acuminate, lit. like a needle, acus, lit. a needle, acusector, lit. a needle which cuts]

belone-, belono- from Gr. belone, means "needle". [belonephobia, lit. fear of needles, belonoskiascopy, lit. needle shadow viewing]

Memory Story: You accuse (acu-, acus, not related) an addict of wanting to be alone (belone-) so he can stick a needle in his arm and get a fix.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Memorizing medical/scientific word parts -acu- and acou-


The goal of Struggling Student's Memory Guide is to develop ways to use association and mnemonic memory techniques, instead of rote memorization, to remember educational information we can use for a lifetime.


blue emboldened words are common or college terms that can be used for word association purposes.


reddish brown emboldened words are medical terms that should be looked up in a medical dictionary for their figurative meanings.




-acu-, acou- from Gr. akouein, to hear and akoustikos, related to hearing, means "hearing or having something to do with hearing. [acoustic, pertaining to the sense of hearing or the science of sound, acousma, lit. (something) heard, acusis, lit. hearing process, hyperacusis, lit. hearing greater than normal condition, presbyacusis, lit. old man hearing condition, psychoacoustics, lit. relating to mind and hearing] (see -acu-[2] tomorrow)


Memory Story: Your patient got a cue stick (acoustic) stuck deep in his ear during a bar fight and now he can't hear.


Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Memorizing medical/scientific word parts -actin- and -rad-


The goal of Struggling Student's Memory Guide is to develop ways to use association and mnemonic memory techniques, instead of rote memorization, to remember education information we can use for a lifetime.


blue emboldened words are common or college terms that can be used for word association purposes.

reddish brown emboldened words are medical terms that should be looked up in a medical dictionary for their figurative meanings.


actin-, actino- from Gr. aktinos, means "ray, radiation, or having radiating parts". [actinium, a radioactive element, Actinobacillus, lit. radiating little rods, actinochemistry, obsolete term for radiochemistry, Actinomyces, lit. radiated fungus]

-rad-, -radi- from L. radix, root, means "root, something shaped like a root, rays, tentacles". [radish, radio, eradicate, lit. to root out, fig. to pull out by the roots, radiate, lit. to make rays, fig. to emit rays, radical, lit. relating to roots, fig. proceeding directly from the root, radium, element that gives off rays of radiation, radicle, radicotomy, lit. root incision, radius, lit. a ray, radix, lit. root, steradian, lit. solid radius]

radicul-, radiculo- from the diminutive of L. radix, root, means "radicle, a diminutive root like structure". [radicula, lit. a diminutive root, radiculopathy, lit. radicle disease]

radio- from L. radius, ray, means "radiation, esp. X-ray radiation, or the radius arm bone, or if combined with an element, a radioactive isotope of that element". [radioactive, radiobicipital, lit. relating to the radius and biceps, radioulnar, lit. relating to the radius and ulna, radiocarbon, lit. radioactive isotope of carbon]

Memory Story: Finally, after years of hard work, you've just received your first major acting (-actin-, not related) part in a movie. You go down to wardrobe and they hand you your tentacle radish (-rad-, related) suit and ray gun for Attack of the Killer Radishes, sequel to that movie great Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Memorizing word part acromio-


The goal of Struggling Student's Memory Guide is to develop ways to use association and mnemonic memory techniques, instead of rote memorization, to remember educational information we can use for a lifetime.


reddish brown emboldened words are medical terms that should be looked up in a medical dictionary for their figurative meanings.


Word part and memory story taken from High Speed Memory Techniques for Medical Terminology.


acromio- from Gr. akromion, from -acro-, highest point + omos, shoulder, means "acromion, the highest point or outder end of the spine of the scapula". [acromioclavicular, lit. relating to the acromion and clavicle, acromiothoracic, lit. relating to the acromion and thorax] (see -acro-)


Memory Story: You're extracting what looks like a chrome lion (acromion) from a hit and run victim's acomion region. Hmmm, turns out it was a Jaguar and not a lion after all.