This blog post is going to help you with pharyngeal or branchial arches mnemonics. The five pharyngeal arches mnemonic are given below sequentially as First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Sixth Branchial Arch.
First Pharyngeal Arch
Mnemonics for derivative of 1st Branchial Arch are a compilation of M and T:
M-T
Muscles
2M4T
- Mastication muscles (Temporalis,Masseter,Pterygoid)
- Mylohyoid
- Tensor tympani
- Tensor veli palatini
- Tongue- anterior two third
- digasTric muscle- anterior belly
Skeletal
4M2T
- Maxilla
- Malleus + incus
- Meckel cartilage
- sphenoMandibular ligament
- Temporal bone- squamous part
- zygomaTic
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Nerve
MT
- Mandibular division of Trigeminal nerve
Artery
- Maxillary artery
Second Pharyngeal Arch
Mnemonics for derivative of 2nd Branchial Arch can be learned as S and as:-
S
Muscles
- Stapedius
- Stylohyoid
- Smile- muscles of facial expression
BAPP as-
- Buccinator
- Auricular muscles
- Platysma
- Posterior belly of digastric muscle
Skeletal
- Stapes
- Styloid process
- Stylohyoid ligament
- lesser cornua and upper half of body of hyoid
- reichert’s cartilage
Nerve
- Seventh nerve (facial nerve)
Artery
- Stapedial artery
- hyoid artery
Third Pharyngeal Arch
Mnemonics for derivatives of 3rd Branchial Arch are like GlossoPharyngeus, that is, GP:
GP
Muscles
- styloPharyngeus
Skeletal
- Greater cornea and lower half of hyoid
Nerve
- GlossoPharyngeal nerve
Arteries
- common carotid artery and internal carotid artery
Fourth Pharyngeal Arch
Mnemonics for derivatives of 4th Branchial Arch can be traced back to Thyroid:
Muscle
- cricoThyroid
- pharyngeal constrictors
- levator veli palatini
Skeletal
- Thyroid cartilage
- epiglottic cartilage
Nerve
- superior laryngeal nerve
Artery
- 4th left- Aortic arch
- 4th right- Subclavian arch
Sixth Pharyngeal Arch
Mnemonics for derivative of 6th Branchial Arch can be traced back to Larynx as:
Muscles
- Larynx- all intrinsic muscles except cricothyroid
Skeletal
- Larynx- all cartilages except thyroid (cricoid, corniculate, cuneiform, and arytenoid)
Nerve
- Laryngeal nerve- recurrent
Artery
- 6th left- Pulmonary artery and Ductus arteriosus
- 6th right- Pulmonary artery
This is a way to learn the derivatives of pharyngeal arches. But it’s always better to understand things than to mug up. Learning nerve supply followed by derivatives is highly recommended because that will make your basics further strong.