Mortuary Mnemonics

Damon de la Cruz

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LIFE SCIENCES
UPDATED WEEKLY

A place to help Funeral Service Education Students study. We share mortuary science mnemonics that will help with classes, NEB and state exams. We also help licensed practitioner review concepts from the course they took while in school. This is a Tuesday Evening Publications production.

31/10/2025

The Gout

When you think gout, think TOE, because that’s where it loves to start. The big toe joint, or first metatarsophalangeal joint, is the classic site for that sharp, fiery pain that wakes people at night. Now add TOPHI spelled T-O-P-H-I those are the chalky white deposits that form when uric acid crystals build up over time. Think of them as little mountains of urate that appear on ears, elbows, or even fingers. So remember: TOE for the first attack, TOPHI for the chronic stage.Gout begins in the toe and ends with tophi. It's a simple way to recall the progression from acute inflammation to long-term crystal buildup. That’s your minute mnemonic — TOE and TOPHI — from acute pain to chronic deposit.”

2 min
12/07/2025

Aortic A-B-C-s

“ABCs of the Aortic Arch.” A is for Aortic Arch – the main curve of theaorta.From there, the branches go in this order:B – Brachiocephalic arteryC – Left Common carotid arteryS – Left Subclavian artery Think: A – B – C – S. Quick tip: the brachiocephalic only comes off the rightside—so it later splits into the right subclavian and right commoncarotid. The left side gets its own direct branches.

2 min
21/01/2025

F.E.R.M.

Rigor mortis, the stiffening of muscles after death due to fluctuation in ATP levels. Rigor mortis can make it challenging to position a body for preparation. But don’t worry—our mnemonic, F.E.R.M., makes the process straightforward and easy to remember. Let’s break it down: F is for Flex. Start by gently flexing the joints. For example, bend the arms at the elbows or the legs at the knees. The goal here is to loosen up the major joints without applying excessive force. E is for Extend. Once the joint has some flexibility, extend it slowly. Straighten out the limbs to encourage the muscle fibers to relax further. R is for Rotate. Now, rotate the joints gently. This helps stretch out the muscles and break down the stiffness even more. Think of this as a circular motion—nothing sharp or sudden. M is for Manipulate. Finally, manipulate the muscles by massaging or pressing along the limbs. This final step can release any remaining tension, ensuring the body is ready for proper positioning. Remember, the key is to take your time and use a respectful, measured approach. Flex, Extend, Rotate, and Manipulate—F.E.R.M.—it’s simple, effective, and dignified.

2 min
28/10/2024

Phocomelia

Phocomelia s a congenital condition that involves malformations of human arms and legs that is most often described as having flipper-like appendages. However, it can manifest in other regions of the body resulting in shortened neck, abnormalities in the urethra, and hydrocephalus. A cause of phocomelia is the mother being prescribed certain chemicals during pregnancy. However, the causes of most cases are idiopathic. For the purposes of mortuary school, phocomelia is described as a condition in which the proximal portions of the limbs are poorly developed or missing. As with many medical terms, phocomelia can be broken apart into smaller words. Here melia refers to a condition of the limbs. Melos is Greek for limb. I suggest keeping this one in the memory banks as it will come up in the future. Today we will focus on Phoco. Phoco is derived from phoca. Phoca is a genus of seals. For our purposes let’s simply commit to Phoco means seal. If you think of a seal you will recall these cute aquatic creatures do not have arms, only flippers for upper extremities. This is the description of phocomelia. Distal portions only, no proximal portions. Think seals! Also, I apologize for the flagrant use of the phoco during this podcast.

3 min
22/04/2024

HemoPTysis

Hemoptysis Here’s a mnemonic that I overheard in class one day. It’s for the word Hemoptysis. Hemoptysis is the coughing up or spitting of blood from one’s lungs. It can be a sign of a serious medical condition. It can be caused by infections such as tuberculosis, cancer, and problems in blood vessels in the lungs. In my class hemoptysis is introduced with several other terms that are new but have similar meaning, epistaxis, melena and others. This creates a perfect occasion for a good mnemonic. Here is the one that I heard: When you say hem-pt-ysis you can put an emphasis on the “pt” sound and create a sound that is similar to a “spitting” sound. Of course, spitting often includes involves sputum so the correlation is solid. I hope this helps you manage some of the pathology terms to get you through the boards.

2 min
30/12/2023

Soupination

Here’s a quick mnemonic. It’s one of those anatomical directional terms. These are important for communicating with other professionals as they help to remove ambiguity. Today’s term is supination, the rotation of the forearm and hand so that the palm faces forward or upward. The mnemonic is Soupination. Imagine holding a bowl of soup in the palm of your hand. I suggest a gazpacho because it’s a not too hot to hold. To do this your hand would be in the supine position with the palm facing up. Easy! Credit for this mortuary mnemonic goes to Ben.

1 min
27/12/2023

Proenzymes

As you are most certainly aware, one of the goals of embalming is temporary preservation. This accomplished is in part by stabilizing proteins. Without getting into the chemical pathways this stabilization can be achieved through the neutralization of enzymatic proteins that will digest other proteins. In regard to neutralization of enzymes it’s sort of a two birds one stone effect, stabilize and neutralize a protein all at once. Enzymes are regulated in a multitude of ways. This is a great launching off point for our mnemonic for proenzymes. Proenzymes are the precursors of enzymes, a change is required to activate them. In a biological system it’s sometimes more effective, quicker really, to have enzymes ready to go but not active than it is to synthesize them on the fly. Usually, activation occurs by hydrolysis of an inhibiting fragment that masks an active site. Examples of proenzymes are pepsinogen and trypsinogen. These are digestive enzymes that we don’t want to be active when there is no food to digest in our stomach but can be quickly activated when needed. In my mind proenzymes are like a wheel lock that immobilizes a car. The car can’t move with it on but functions fine when the lock is off. I think of proenzymes as “pre”enzymzes. The mnemonic for the day is the pro/pre swap for proenzymes. Imagine if these enzymes were perpetually active and unregulated! We’d digest ourselves!! Its much safer to have them in the “PROcursor” form.

3 min
10/11/2023

Tendon or Ligament

Tendons and ligaments are confusing. Do tendons connect bone to muscle? Muscle to muscle? Do ligaments connect bone to muscle? Okay so here is where I lean into structures that I am confident about. Those structures that I’ve been familiar with for years, even before my first anatomy class. A tendon is defined as a flexible but inelastic cord of strong fibrous collagen tissue attaching muscle to bone. A ligament is defined as a short band of tough, flexible fibrous connective tissue which connects two bones or cartilage or holds a joint in position. Often confused. Tendons first Arguably the most famous tendon in the body is the Achilles tendon. It connects the heel bone to the muscles of the foreleg. Specifically, it connects the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles in the calf to an insertion point at the calcaneus. The Achilles tendon connects muscle to bone. Now ligaments All embalmers are familiar with the Inguinal ligament. It’s discussed in the guide for the femoral artery. It’s the ligament that attaches the anterior spine of the iliac to the pubic tubercle. The inguinal ligament connects bone to bone.

3 min

A place to help Funeral Service Education Students study. We share mortuary science mnemonics that will help with classes, NEB and state exams. We also help licensed practitioner review concepts from the course they took while in school. This is a Tuesday Evening Publications production.

Creator

Damon de la Cruz
Years Active

2022 - 2025
Episodes

24
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© Damon de la Cruz
Show Website

Mortuary Mnemonics