Wondrous Words Wednesday #4 Proof of Heaven

Wondrous Words Wednesday is hosted by BermudaOnion each week. It's an opportunity to share new words you've encountered in your reading, or highlight words that you particularly enjoy.

The following 2 words were discovered in my current read. 

penultimate  adj     the definition of penultimate is something that is second to last or right before the last item in a series. 

pg 2        On our penultimate jump of the day, out of the D18 Beechcraft at 10,500 feet, we made a 10-man snowflake.



plasmid  noun

A circular, double-stranded unit of DNA that replicates within a cell independently of the chromosomal DNA and is most often found in bacteria; it is used in recombinant DNA research to transfer genes between cells. Also called extrachromosomal element.   from the American Heritage Medical Dictionary. 

pg 43        Further tests revealed that the bacteria living in the man's large intestine had acquired the KPC gene by direct plasmid transfer from his resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infection. 

plasmid - Cultural Definition

A circular bacterial DNA, sometimes used as a vector for gene insertion or genetic engineering. Plasmids are often the site of genes that code for resistance to antibiotics.

I must admit I have been a bit intimidated by the technical medical jargon in this book and also by the descriptions of his journey into the afterlife. I am about 1/2 way through and I have really liked the descriptions of his family's support, the attention to detail by his doctors. I hope we all would get the same treatment in a medical facility. There is a good index in the back of the book, some other reading lists and a statement by a fellow MD. I am keeping an open mind, because we really don't know what happens to our bodies and our souls at the time of death. I was with my mother at the moment of her death and I don't feel that it was an easy and wondrous transition. At least that was my perception. 

Until next time, 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy