During the twentieth century, the word had known many unprecedented inventions and discoveries that had radically shaped our way of life. The field of discovery that touched human’s life the most, was the medical field. One of the most important achievements in science that opened the doors to many other scientific discoveries was the seccefull culture of the first human cells in laboratory. Those cells were named HeLa. HeLa cells were taken from the cervical of a black woman in Charles Hopkins hospital in Baltimore, where she went to trait cancer. The women name is Henrietta Lacks, a poor and uneducated women and a mother of four kids. She died, in 1951; soon after her doctor discover the cancer in her body, but her cells stayed immortal until
Henrietta Lacks died in the 1950’s but her cells are still alive today. You will learn how her cells are still alive and what her cells have been used for and what they are being used for. Henrietta Lacks was born in Roanoke, Virginia. She was a poor woman who worked as a southern tobacco farmer, she worked in the same farm as her ancestors, and had a middle school education( "Five Reasons Henrietta Lacks is the Most Important Woman ..." ).
In this book, it talks about a woman named Henrietta Lacks, and her cells were such an amazing experience for all scientists. It was such a shock of what they saw in her tests. Henrietta Lacks was born on August 1st, 1920. Henrietta died of cervical cancer on October 4th, 1959, at the age of 31. Cells taken from her body were used to form the whole cell line.
As soon as Gey realized what he had discovered he ordered a large factory to be built to mass produce HeLa cells, its main purpose was to discover a cure for Polio (Skloot, Pg. 93), but not only did it provide aid in the medical world, but companies such as cosmetic corporations could test the effects of their makeup and other cosmetics on cell health (Skloot, Pg. 102). The possibilities of research with HeLa cell were endless, anything from the research on atomic radiations effect on cells and how to reverse the damage, to the discovery of cells being able to live on after the extraction of their nucleus, and even the vast amount of studies of chemotherapy drugs, hormones, vitamins, and environmental stress proved the importance of HeLa cells in modern research (Skloot, Pg. 102). For the first time ever, scientists were able to properly identify the correct number of chromosomes and map them out, this further lead to the ability of being able to diagnose diseases where individuals had an excess or lack of chromosomes such as Trisomy 21 or Klinefelter syndrome (Skloot, Pg. 100). The science world had finally found a way to overcome the expense and strenuous procedures to obtain cell subjects, scientist could test the effect of gravity, the pressure of deep sea diving by spinning the cells in a centrifuge (Skloot,
Have you ever heard of Henrietta Lacks, Phineas Gage, or Douglas Mawson? All of these people underwent major struggles for the sake of science, but one stands out more than the rest. Henrietta Lacks was a woman who died at age 31 due to cervical cancer; her cells helped form a multi-million dollar industry (“Immortal Cells, Enduring Issues”). Phineas Gage was a railroad worker who had once shoved a iron rod into a blasting hole, which caused the rod to shoot into his skull. Gage faced side effects from this that led scientists to uncover details on the frontal lobe of the brain, and brain disorders (“The Man with the Hole in his Brain”).
Aunt Henrietta Jackson daughter of Fielding W Jackson and Elvira Ellis was born in January of 1878. Henrietta was about 11 or 12 when her father passed away leaving her mother to raise 7 children the 6 boys and Henrietta. She was charged with assisting her mom with the children as well as household chores, also learning how to work in the fields. Education was paramount in the Ellis-Jackson home and like her mother she too began a career as a school teacher at Poplar Hill School.
Henrietta went to John Hopkins Hospital in 1951 reporting to the doctors there that she had abdominal pain. The doctors found that she had internal bleeding in her abdomen. The doctors then diagnosed her with cervical cancer, which is a type of cancer that forms in the woman’s uterus. She had multiple radiation treatments done to her where they then took samples of the cancer tissue without her knowing. Henrietta died on October 4th, 1951 at the age of 31.
Deborah was struggling with her family, Zakariyya was in jail, and the discovery of their mother cells had been a cultural shock. It was by word of mouth that the Lacks family heard about Henrietta’s cells being immortal. It was 1973 and Bobbette was having a conversation with her friend’s brother in law. What happened was that he eventually told her that he worked at the National Cancer Institute and that he has been working with a cell from a woman named Henrietta lacks that died of cervical cancer at Hopkins in the fifties. After hearing about this new discovery, Bobbette relayed the message to her family.
Henrietta was a victim of the unethical methods that took place at John Hopkins hospital. She was violated when they decided to take her cells without her permission, and she was never told that they had taken her cells before she passed away. After, Henrietta passed away her family suffered greatly. Her husband, Day, did not take care of the children well. Henrietta was the only one in the family who visited Elsie, who was at Crownsville State Hospital, which was an hour and a half south of Baltimore (Skloot 45).
The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks She creates an interest to the story by first beginning talking about a photograph of a woman she has never met before. Then she begins to describe the picture of the woman. She says that the woman is wearing a dress suit, had red lipstick on, hands on hip, and she smiles at the camera.
As dark and horrid as the beginning of the HeLa research program was, there was a come to peace and rightfully settling of human advancement through Henrietta’s ultimate sacrifice of life. Through Henrietta’s pain, agony and de-humanization if it wasn’t for her unknown personal effort, much impact has been made on quality of human intuition towards certain toxins, viruses and other illnesses. The HeLa cells has established a line of defense towards protecting any further harmful testing to be conducted on other living creatures such as animals and humans. Unknown illnesses and viruses can be tested against the HeLa cells to exemplify how a human body cell may take effect against harmful illnesses and viruses. Ultimately for the greater good, Henrietta’s family over the years could come to the consensus of peace and acceptance through her impact on scientific research.
When I first picked up this book, I knew nothing about the contents I was about to read. I had no idea that there could be such emotion, and anger, and tears, and hatred all towards science. I never knew people could be manipulated so much, and I never knew there could be such miracles, such as Henrietta Lacks herself. The quote above is what really captured my attention and what drew me into the book. I never knew I could learn so much and feel so much all while reading one short book.
There are many citizens out in the world and each one has a purpose in life whether they approve or disapprove, but it is worse having it stolen from you and not being compensated or receiving recognition for the contribution made for a better future. Henrietta Lacks was an African American woman with cervical cancer and while undergoing radioactive therapy, she has her cells stolen from her. She died not knowing the truth and numerous years later, her family is shocked to find out the truth. The knowledge acquired by reading this enthralling novel is how the medical procedures were conducted during the time period of when Henrietta Lacks was undergoing medical attention for her tumor. The doctor stole Henrietta’s cells without her
Henrietta Lacks was a black tobacco farmer from the south who, in 1950, at the age of 30, she was diagnosed with aggressive cervical cancer. Lacks went to John’s Hopkins medical center for treatment for her cancer. In April of 1951, she underwent surgery to remove the larger tumor on her cervix. Henrietta Lacks, died three days following the surgery. Even though Henrietta Lacks died, her cells from the tumor have lived on and have made a major impact on the biomedical community.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks tells the story of Henrietta, an African-American woman whose cells were used to create the first immortal human cell line. Told through the eyes of her daughter, Deborah Lacks, aided by journalist Rebecca Skloot. Deborah wanted to learn about her mother, and to understand how the unauthorized harvesting of Lacks cancerous cells in 1951 led to unprecedented medical breakthroughs, changing countless lives and the face of medicine forever. It is a story of medical arrogance and triumph, race, poverty and deep friendship between the unlikeliest people. There had been many books published about Henrietta’s cells, but nothing about Henrietta’s personality, experiences, feeling, life style etc.
Henrietta Lacks, "The Mother of Modern Science" is being honored by the Smithsonian Institute in its National Portrait Gallery. Artist Kadir Nelson will present a portraite of Lacks which will be on display through November 4, 2018. At the age of 31, Lacks, then a mother of five died from cervical canccer. While being treated for the disease, doctors unknowingly to Lacks, took her cells from her body and discovered that lived long and had the ability to reproduce indefinitely while in test tubes.