Final answer:
The National Organ Transplant Act of 1984 in the United States allows the donation of organs without cost to the donor and prohibits the sale of human organs. It also brings into focus the modern standards of informed consent, contrasting with the historical case of Henrietta Lacks whose cells were taken without her consent.
Step-by-step explanation:
The law that helps facilitate the donation of organs without cost to the donor is the National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA) of 1984 in the United States. This act prohibits the sale of human organs and provides a framework for the donation of organs, ensuring that the process is ethical and that donors do not incur expenses for their benevolence. The act also established the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), which maintains a national registry for organ matching to ensure fair and equitable allocation of donated organs.
In the context of Henrietta Lacks, her cells were taken without her consent at a time when there were no clear laws or guidelines on informed consent in medical procedures. Today, this is considered unethical and illegal, and NOTA is one of the laws that upholds the ethical standards in organ and tissue donation. Whether it is ethical to continue using Lacks's tissues for research, given that they were obtained without consent, remains a complex bioethical dilemma.