How to remember germ tissue layers?

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ej37

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I keep seeing germ tissue questions popping up on practice questions. I can't seem to keep straight what systems arise from what germ layers... how do you guys remember what comes from ectoderm, mesoderm, endoderm?

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  • Ectoderm ---> Integument (everything you can see), lens of the eye and nervous system;
  • Endoderm---> lining of digestive and respiratory tracts, parts of liver, pancreas, thyroid and bladder;
  • Mesoderm---> circulatory system, excretory system, muslces, connective tissue, organs.
Make a list a keep reviewing it.
 
This is definitely more broad and not 100%, but helped me out a lot in Vert Morph:

Ecto = outside, what you can see
Meso = middle layers
Endo = inner, the gut tube
 
I had this comparative anatomy book that has like the embryo development and like all the germ layers color coded... You might want to have something like that.. sometimes a picture is worth a thousands words and helps out recall a lot.
 
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Ectoderm- just think Ecto for Exterior... skin and stuff

Mesoderm- in the middle- linings and really any place that something you inhale or swallow end up- GI tract, lungs, bladder etc.

Endoderm- all the other stuff in there- for histology class the big thing was connective tissues- remember bone is connective tissue too!
 
Ectoderm- "attract o derm" - what attracts a mate? Eye lens, the skin, exterior traits
Mesoderm- "muscle" - muscle, circulatory & urinary systems (heart/bladder are muscles)
Endoderm - "endernal organs" - including lining of internal organs/tracts, etc

Mnemonics Courtesy of Kaplan
 
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Well I have a great one but it is not appropriate for a public forum. :laugh:
 
Well I have a great one but it is not appropriate for a public forum. :laugh:


Post it, these are ALWAYS the best for memorization. I have a really bad one for the trig functions. Everyone did SOH CAH TOA, but my mind was way in the gutter in trig lol.
 
This is waht I'm using to remember, anyone wanna try and pick it apart? (not a mnemonic but it will reduce the amount of work you have to do)

ecto - 'ecto' means outside so anything on the outside, plus the central nervous system (brain + spinal cord)

meso - Musculoskeletal system (including the tissue that connects), vascular system (including teh heart and the spleen because that's all red blood cells :p), urogenital system (so that would mean kidneys/bladder and the reproductive organs), notochord

endo - everything else


c'mon that's only four things to memorize for meso i'd asy that's pretty good
 
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