Mnemonics for Biology and Human Body Notes for SSC Exams
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
In this note
PDF Notes: Mnemonics for Biology and Human Body Notes for SSC Exams
Premium PDF · one-time payment of ₹5 · instant access
The human body is full of numbers and orders: the vertebrae, the teeth, the heart valves, the vitamins and their diseases. These mnemonics for Biology and the human body for SSC give simple tricks for each list. Learn the trick for the number or the order, and then read the notes to understand the reason.
Skeleton and Teeth
| Topic | Trick |
|---|---|
| Vertebrae of the spine | "Breakfast at 7, Lunch at 12, Dinner at 5": 7 cervical, 12 thoracic and 5 lumbar vertebrae; then 5 sacral (fused) and 4 coccygeal (fused) make 33 in all |
| Adult teeth | 32 teeth. The formula 2-1-2-3 for each half of a jaw means 2 incisors, 1 canine, 2 premolars and 3 molars |
| Milk teeth | 20 teeth, because there are no premolars and no third molars |
| Bones | 206 bones in an adult |
Heart and Blood
| Topic | Trick |
|---|---|
| Valves of the heart | "LAB RAT": Left Atrium has the Bicuspid valve, Right Atrium has the Tricuspid valve |
| Chambers | 4 chambers: 2 atria (upper) and 2 ventricles (lower) |
| Life of red blood cells | About 120 days |
| Normal blood pressure | 120/80 mm of mercury |
| Normal body temperature | 37°C or 98.6°F |
Vitamins and Deficiency Diseases
| Vitamin | Disease | Trick |
|---|---|---|
| A | Night blindness | A is for Admire the stars: you need A to see in the dark |
| B1 | Beriberi | B for Beriberi |
| B3 | Pellagra | Pellagra has 3 Ds: dermatitis, diarrhoea and dementia |
| B12 | Pernicious anaemia | B12 helps to build healthy blood |
| C | Scurvy | C for Scurvy, as sailors needed citrus fruits |
| D | Rickets | D for Deformed legs in children (rickets) |
| K | Blood does not clot | K for Koagulation (clotting) |
Glands
| Gland | Remember |
|---|---|
| Pituitary | Master gland; it controls the other glands |
| Thyroid | Thyroxine; lack of iodine causes goitre |
| Pancreas | Insulin lowers blood sugar; lack of insulin causes diabetes |
| Adrenal | Adrenaline for fight or flight |
Digestive Path
Learn the path as a story of food: Mouth, Pharynx, Oesophagus, Stomach, Small intestine, Large intestine, Rectum and Anus. The small intestine has three parts in the order duodenum, jejunum and ileum (say "Don’t Jump In").
| Where | Enzyme | Digests |
|---|---|---|
| Mouth | Salivary amylase | Starch |
| Stomach | Pepsin | Protein |
| Small intestine | Lipase, trypsin and others | Fat and protein |
Quick Tips
- Learn the trick together with the number.
- Draw the heart or the spine and write the trick on it.
- Link every vitamin to its disease in pairs.
- Read the detailed note on vitamins and the digestive system after the trick.
Quick Revision Points
- The spine has 7, 12 and 5 vertebrae in the neck, chest and lower back.
- The adult has 32 teeth and a child has 20 milk teeth.
- LAB RAT: Left Atrium Bicuspid, Right Atrium Tricuspid.
- Vitamin C lack causes scurvy and vitamin D lack causes rickets.
- The pituitary is the master gland.
Practice Questions With Answers
- How many cervical vertebrae are there?
Answer: 7 - How many thoracic vertebrae are there?
Answer: 12 - Which valve is on the left side of the heart?
Answer: Bicuspid (mitral) valve - How many teeth does an adult have?
Answer: 32 - How many milk teeth does a child have?
Answer: 20 - Deficiency of which vitamin causes rickets?
Answer: Vitamin D - Deficiency of which vitamin causes scurvy?
Answer: Vitamin C - Which is called the master gland of the body?
Answer: Pituitary gland - Which hormone of the pancreas lowers the blood sugar?
Answer: Insulin - What is the life of the red blood cells?
Answer: About 120 days
How to Practise This Chapter
Say each mnemonic aloud, write it once from memory and use it in a practice question the same day. Then test yourself with our practice papers and the previous year papers page. See all mnemonics on the Mnemonics page, and also read the MindMaps and Formula Guide pages. For the detailed notes, read Vitamins and Deficiency Diseases, Human Digestive System and the General Science mind map. The previous page is Mnemonics for English Grammar and Spelling and the next page is Mnemonics for Maths and Reasoning.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many vertebrae are there in the human spine?
There are 33 at birth, and in an adult the sacral and coccygeal ones are fused.
What is the trick for the vertebrae?
"Breakfast at 7, Lunch at 12, Dinner at 5" gives 7 cervical, 12 thoracic and 5 lumbar vertebrae.
What is the teeth formula of an adult?
The formula is 2-1-2-3 for each half of a jaw, which gives 32 teeth.
What is LAB RAT?
It means Left Atrium has the Bicuspid valve and Right Atrium has the Tricuspid valve.
Which vitamin deficiency causes scurvy?
Vitamin C.
Which vitamin deficiency causes rickets?
Vitamin D.
Which vitamin deficiency causes night blindness?
Vitamin A.
Which is the master gland?
The pituitary gland is the master gland.
Which hormone controls blood sugar?
Insulin from the pancreas lowers the blood sugar.
Which enzyme digests protein in the stomach?
Pepsin.
Is this topic asked in SSC exams?
Yes. Human body and vitamin questions are asked often in the General Awareness section.
How often should I revise the tricks?
After 1 day, 3 days, 7 days and then once a month.
Previous chapter
Mnemonics for English Grammar and Spelling Notes for SSC Exams
Next chapter
Mnemonics for Maths and Reasoning Notes for SSC Exams
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
Rahul is a senior SSC exam strategist with 8+ years of experience helping aspirants crack CGL, CHSL and MTS exams. He writes in-depth notification breakdowns, exam pattern guides and preparation strategies.