Question

How do you manage to memorize all these biological facts, processes, terms, etc?

Answer 1

terms I just study the underlying latin/greek/whatever meaning... but what about the rest?

Answer 2

The short answer is there is no easy way.

For me the first few months were the worst. After I acquired a general overview of molecular biology and biochemistry, it became easier to fit details into a framework which was already there. Just go over it (again and again and again) until it sticks.

I found it helped to remember the details in terms of the overall biologic processes at work. For example, I remember the structures of the intermediates in the glycolytic pathway by thinking about how each of those structures is an incremental step in the overall process, instead of rote memorization of each one.

There are some elements of informal nomenclature: in general, proteins generally end in "-in" with the exception of enzymes which generally end in "-ase." Metabolic enzymes are typically loosely named for their substrates and products: "Hexokinase" catalyses a phosophorylation reaction (adds a phosphate group) to a hexose (6 carboned) sugar which, to some extent, ties naming in with the systematic nomenclature loved by all chemists. So if you can remember the names, there is a good chance that you can remember the actual reactions.

Sometimes acronyms can be employed. Every physiology student who has memorised the cranial nerves knows that "on old Olympus's towering top, a Fin and a German" did something I'm not going to post on a web forum frequented by under 18s but which I clearly remember.

I caution you against remembering everything. The internet and speedy referencing abilities has changed how biology is practiced. Maybe the focus was once on remembering every aminotransferase there is; now we can find that info in a few moments and the emphasis has shifted to understanding and doing stuff with that knowledge.