Analysis: The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks
February 6th, 2018 - February 20th, 2018
Afton Buhr, Nina Wilson, Athena Cunningham, Marina Avila
Henrietta Lacks- Final Assignment (Group) Script
(Due February 20th) (Nina and Afton are doing the basic plot, Mari and Athena are doing essential lessons and takeaways) (meet on google hangouts between 4:00-6:00 PM)
(Afton) The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Presentation (Athena) By Nina, Athena, Afton, and Mari
Basic Plot:
(Afton) The book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, is about the events that happen to the young woman Henrietta Lacks leading up to the discovery and harvesting of her cervical cancer cells- without her knowing. These cells became the foundation for many modern cell culture methods and other scientific discoveries,
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Identity is a main factor in the aforementioned topics- how do you identify yourself?
What role does morality play in medicine? (Afton :D)
Morality plays a big role in science and medicine. It limits doctors and researchers from doing horribly unethical things. Morality is not very clear on its own, so we can make it more clear by showing you some very immoral things doctors and researchers have done.
“‘Pneumoencephalography and skull X-ray studies in 100 epileptics’” (page 275). This study consisted of draining the fluids out of the research subjects’ skulls and then taking an X-ray image, which came with some really bad side effects like permanent brain damage.
The study Dr. Southam did by injecting HeLa cells into patients’ without their knowledge or consent, and into prisoners with the knowledge and consent, but they were possibly coerced.
When George Gey took Henrietta’s cells and did not tell her or the family or the scientists working with her cells. This cost her family millions in money made off of the cells that they missed out on at a time when they could not even afford to go to the
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(Nina)
There are two ways our group came up with, the ethical approach and the logical approach (not always very ethical). The logical approach consists of listing out all the costs and benefits and also how big or small the costs and/or benefits are, then compare which side is more, metaphorically, weighty. To do it the ethical way, you have to take into account not only peoples’ health but also their emotional health along with the benefits of the progress in science.
Do you “own” your body? (Mari)
Yes, that is our group consensus, you do indeed own your body. One reason why is because if we did not own our own body then scientists and government officials and whoever else could use us for anything. It is a basic human right that you have claim over your own body. Once that claim is revoked, anyone can do anything they want with you and you can’t do a lawful thing about it. Your body once you die should belong to your family as if it was a material object- as your belongings become your family's, so should your
The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks Book Report
727 Words | 3 PagesThe Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a book written by Rebecca Skloot. Chapter 1 begins shortly after Henrietta’s daughter, Deborah, and her son, Joe, were born. After those two were born, she then began to experience vaginal bleeding at the wrong time of the month. Feeling like something was wrong, Henrietta rushed to the doctor. She only went to see the doctor “If she felt she had no other choice”.
Summary Of The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks
171 Words | 1 PagesIn the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, the author demonstrates the harsh realities that many African Americans faced in the medical and scientific field during the mid 20th century. The author shows the unjust practices of this time period through interviews with the Lacks family and medical professionals. These harsh realities are proven when Skloot talks to Henrietta’s family. Henrietta’s husband, Day, explains how they took samples from Henrietta’s body without consent when Skloot writes, “Day clenched his remaining three teeth. "I didn't sign no papers," he said.
The End Of The Henrietta Lacks Saga Analysis
260 Words | 2 PagesThe article “The End of the Henrietta Lacks Saga?” From the Smithsonian magazine was written by Rachel Nuwer in 2013. The Smithsonian is a magazine from the museum in Washington, D.C. Authors should use critical thinking when writing magazine articles, but some do not. Nuwer successfully informed readers about Lacks and what happened 1950 until now.
Henrietta Lacks: The Cause Of Cancer Cells
741 Words | 3 PagesHenrietta Lacks was a thirty-one year old African American who had five kids and married her cousin David Lacks. Henrietta was diagnosed with cervical cancer, the doctors never informed Mrs. Lacks that her cells were to be tested on. The Lacks family was certainly not advised that Henrietta 's cells were growing at an incredible rate. Because of this, the cancer cells were shipped and bought across the world. The last 8 months of Henrietta’s death became a piece of history nobody would ever want to forget.
The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks By Houston Mullican
734 Words | 3 PagesShortly after this happened Henrietta died from the cervical cancer on October 4, 1951. It wasn’t until two decades later that Henriettas name was released to the press, and it wasn’t until even later in the 1990’s when Rebecca Skloot heard of HeLa cells and was interested why there was so little information about her. Skloot then comes into contact with Henriettas family and most importantly forms a bond with Deborah, Henrietta’s oldest daughter. This bond with Deborah was crucial to find out information of Henrietta. While researching the bond grows and Skloot realizes that Deborah just wants to learn as much as possible about her mother like she wants too (Skloot Deborah really just wants her mother’s story to be told and people to realize that there is a person behind all the
Why Is Henrietta Lacks Important
1033 Words | 5 PagesHenrietta Lacks Honor Essay “The reason Henrietta's cells were so precious was because they allowed scientists to perform experiments that would have been impossible with a living human. They cut HeLa cells apart and exposed them to endless toxins, radiation, and infection. They bombarded them with drugs, hoping to find one that would kill malignant cells without destroying normal ones.” (58)”Throughout the book “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” there are many examples of how the HeLa cell of Henrietta Lacks provided cellular information and examples that helped mold many cellular discoveries and experiments.
Summary: The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks
903 Words | 4 PagesThe book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, written by Rebecca Skloot and examines the life of Henrietta Lacks and her peculiar situation with her mysterious cells. This paper will focus on chapter two in the novel and how it becomes the most important part of the book when it comes to understanding Henrietta’s life story. Chapter two is called “Clover (1920-1942)”, the chapter itself dissects the early life of Henrietta and the challenges she had growing up. In this chapter, it goes over the gender, economic, and racial obstacles that greatly impacted her. It is important to understand the socio-economic conditions that led Henrietta to be treated less than human.
Henrietta Lacks Ethics
512 Words | 3 PagesJasmine Poole The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot is about a women who has cervical cancer that went to the doctor to get better. But instead of just getting better, the doctors took a sample of the cancer cells. The doctor used her cells to help other people with the same cancer get better. In this case, Henrietta and her family didn’t know that her cells were being sold all around the world to reporters/doctors.
Rhetorical Analysis: The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks
989 Words | 4 PagesBushra Pirzada Professor Swann Engh-302 October 4th 2015 Rhetorical Analysis: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks written by Rebecca Skloot tells the story of a woman named Henrietta Lacks who has her cervical cancer. It further goes to tell the audience how Henrietta altered medicine unknowingly. Henrietta Lacks was initially diagnosed with cervical cancer in 1951; however, the doctors at John Hopkins took sample tissues from her cervix without her permission. The sample tissues taken from Henrietta’s cervix were used to conduct scientific research as well as to develop vaccines in the suture.
Henrietta Lacks Thesis
1020 Words | 5 PagesThe 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 Discussion Questions
700 Words | 3 PagesParticipation Portfolio 1 Asst 3: Henrietta Lacks Discussion Questions Please answers each of the following questions, and be prepared to discuss in class 1. Please outline the history of Henrietta Lacks 's tissue cells. Who did what with the cells, when, where and for what purpose? Who benefited, scientifically, medically, and monetarily?
Racism In The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks
743 Words | 3 PagesRacism in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Imagine your mother, sister, wife, or cousin was diagnosed with cervical cancer and you believed the doctors were doing everything in their power to help her. Only later you discovered her cells were used for research without consent and she was not properly informed of the risks of her treatment due to her race. This story happened and is told by Rebecca Skloot in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Skloot use of narrative and her writing style enhances the understanding of the story. Henrietta Lacks was a young black woman who was diagnosed with cervical cancer at John Hopkins Hospital.
Henrietta Lacks And Ethics
462 Words | 2 PagesThe origination of HeLa cells, used in biomedical research for a potential cure for cancer, had made many ground breaking discoveries in science; all thanks to one woman, Mrs. Henrietta Lacks. The history of Mrs. Lacks’s contribution to these studies raised many ethical issues concerning healthcare practice. In the short film, The Way of All Flesh, we learn how these cells were revealed by direct violation of ethical principles. During the 1950s, matters regarding informed consent practices were in their beginning stages of implementation.
Examples Of Sacrifice In Society
1139 Words | 5 PagesThis being said, would it be ethical to do some harm if it leads to a benefit for the majority of society? It would be ethical to do some harm if it leads to a benefit for the majority of society. This is so as progress requires sacrifice. While it might seem inhumane or cruel to experiment on an animal or even worse, a person, it is required for us to further progress in the medical industry. To gain more knowledge for ourselves and to learn more, we have to sacrifice things like time, energy and money.
Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks Essay
919 Words | 4 PagesScientists and doctors made great discoveries with the HeLa cells of Henrietta Lacks. The family of Henrietta Lacks had to live with the aftermath of decisions made by doctors and
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