I have fallen into a deep interest with bacteria – I know, I know, the old lady is finally loosing it – plot gone and maybe she ought not be allowed out on her own. I have been astonished at their amazingness (sorry, is that a word?) I keep an eye on news about them. And for NaNoWrMo this year I am planning to write a novel about them!:) Pick yourself up of the floor – I’m sure it will not be a run away best seller but I really want to do it and I am going to have a go.
Some of the reasons why I am fascinated by them are on kiss a frog, but here I am discussing words.
Bacteria have no nucleus; their DNA is just mished up in their cell.
Bacteria: Modern Latin bacteria from Greek bakterion dim. of bakteri = staff
Bacteria is also a prokaryote: which means ‘before a kernel’
And of course Kernel is a delicious sounding name in itself.
Kernel: Old English dim. of corn seed
A seed
Rounded swelling in any part of the body esp. enlarged lymph glands
Seed of husk of grain
Granule as in sand, salt
The nucleus, core, centre of something
Essential part, gist of a narrative
Basis of a system
No extraordinary side stepping there, but isn’t the sound of Kernel lovely? Or is just me:)? And Old English! –What I like is the fact that I can use Kernel today and someone centuries ago was also using it. I love the connections through the ages, all those life changes, extraordinary events and still Kernel remains!
see what it is about Bacteria!
Shorter Oxford English Dictionary
albereta ross writes 