NANP Board Practice Exam

What mnemonic helps to remember non-essential amino acids?

1. "Girls Always Cry As They Gain Pounds"

2. "Many People Smile After Getting Treats"

3. "Almost All Girls Go Crazy After Getting Taken Prom Shopping"

4. "Silly Ants Act Like Pro Gymnasts"

The correct answer is: "Girls Always Cry As They Gain Pounds"

The correct mnemonic for remembering the non-essential amino acids is "Girls Always Cry As They Gain Pounds." This phrase effectively encapsulates the first letters of the non-essential amino acids: Glycine, Alanine, Cysteine, Asparagine, Glutamic acid, Proline, and Serine. Using mnemonics is a helpful technique in memorization, as they create a memorable and often humorous sentence that links the letters to the concepts they represent. In this case, associating each initial with a word helps to solidify the names of the non-essential amino acids in a learner's mind. In contrast, other phrases like "Many People Smile After Getting Treats," "Almost All Girls Go Crazy After Getting Taken Prom Shopping," and "Silly Ants Act Like Pro Gymnasts" do not correspond correctly to the initials of the non-essential amino acids, making them ineffective for this specific memorization task. They either represent different letters or create references that do not align with the amino acid names needed to recall for the exam.