Henrietta Lacks Book Review

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Book Review: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot explores the life of Henrietta Lacks, a black woman who was born in 1920, into a family of impoverished tobacco farmers in Virginia. She died in 1951 at the age of 31 of cervical cancer. Her cells, simply known as HeLa, did not. This unique immortality changed the course of medical history in positive and negative ways. Henrietta’s cells have been widely used in medical research ever since. The HeLa cell line has been responsible for the polio vaccine, gene mapping and breakthrough cancer research. However, ethical questions about the multi-million-dollar industry that was developed from its distribution cannot be ignored, neither the way in which her cells were collected.
When Henrietta Lacks went to John Hopkins Hospital, a surgeon by the name of George Gey took small samples of her cervical tissue for culture research. Gey and his assistant Margaret quickly noticed the cells replicated within twenty-four hours. At the time this was medical breakthrough. Scientists had been struggling to keep cells alive in culture for research and vaccine …show more content…
Her story arose not only controversy, but led to an understanding of how information is obtained and who can gain such access. Furthermore, Mrs. Lack’s life and death served as a catapult for policies that are currently influencing science, build trust, and protect research participants. The medical communities have taken numerous steps to protect the people in clinical research, however it is still in its infancy. Such protection fully depends on how we are aware of the decisions we make when handling life, regardless of its form. We are ethically obliged to ensure the reliability of the research and promote the safety of all of those

The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks Essay

Book Review: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2011). Author’s Name: Rebecca Skloot – Publisher Course: Cell Biology Instructor: Dr. Hari Kotturi Due Date: May 1, 2024 Book Review: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2011) The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2011) by Rebecca Skloot is an award-winning book depicting the beauty and the complexity of scientific discovery. The masterpiece has been recognized in notable awards such as the National Academies Best Book of the Year in 2011…

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Summary: The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks

advantage of them. Throughout the book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, there are many times the Lacks family is seen as an abstraction in certain situations due to the color of their skin or how much money they have; however, there a some consequences for people who treat them that way. At the beginning of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, a quote by Wiesel claims, “We must not see any person as an abstraction. Instead, we must see every person…

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The Bad Blood: The Tuskegee Study

influence the decision on why racial and ethnic minorities deliberately refuse to be a part of research including experimentation, observation and different forms of study. However, the preceding aspect behind the majority of these cases, is an inherent lack of trust within the communities of minorities due to the historical mistreatment of minorities and unethical practices within the field of biomedical research. In nine-teen thirty-two, the…

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Essay on England: Cancer and Hela Cells

In 1951 a scientist by the name of George Gey achieved something that scientist had been striving towards for centuries; he was the first to culture human cells outside of the body. He named these cells Hela, after the person they came from, Henrietta Lacks. She had no idea that when she developed cervical cancer in 1951 that she would help to shape the medical field for every generation after her. This paper will focus on how these cells influenced or understanding, and treatment of cancer specifically…

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A Proper Syllabus Essay

calling the DSP&S Department at (626) 914-8675. Required course materials • Citrus College Eng. 99: Introduction to Reading and Writing with Custom Reader (a custom textbook bundle available only in the campus bookstore) • The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot • Notebook paper and writing utensil (brought to each class meeting) • Various supplemental texts as assigned by instructor throughout the semester (these will be found on Blackboard or distributed in class) Attendance policy…

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Reforming The Juvenile System In St. Louis, 1926-1970

looks at the rise of the juvenile court system in America during the Progressive Era, by focusing on Chicago as a case study. Clapp explains the significance of women’s clubs and social organizations in reforming for juvenile correction facilities. The book discusses women as, “the guardians of the nation’s virtues,” a role which she offers as the reason women were concerned with social welfare. Clapp puts much emphasis on the role of women in fighting for the establishment of a separate justice system…

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