Question

Who was Henrietta Lacks, and why are her cells immortal?

A) A scientist who discovered a cure for cancer; her cells are immortal due to a unique protein
B) A patient whose cells were used for scientific research without her consent; her cells have unique properties that allow them to divide indefinitely
C) A doctor who developed a groundbreaking cancer treatment; her cells are immortal due to a genetic mutation
D) A researcher who accidentally discovered a way to make cells immortal; her cells are now used in various medical experiments

Answer 1

Henrietta Lacks was a patient whose cells, taken without her consent, became critical to medical research due to their ability to divide indefinitely. Her cells have been utilized in numerous scientific advancements, but her family was not compensated for their use for many years.

Step-by-step explanation:

Henrietta Lacks was a patient who underwent treatment for cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1951. Unfortunately, without her knowledge or consent, doctors took samples of her cancerous cells, which would later become famous for their immortal properties, enabling them to divide indefinitely. These cells have become instrumental in numerous important medical developments, including the creation of the polio vaccine and advances in cancer and AIDS research.

Henrietta Lacks's story raises significant bioethical questions, as the commercial and scientific use of her cells occurred without her or her family's permission. This also underpins larger discussions about the use of human tissues in biomedical research. Despite the lack of consent and the profound impact her cells have had on medicine, neither Henrietta Lacks nor her descendants received any form of compensation for many years, although recent developments have given her family some control over the cells' genetic information.