Hela
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Rebecca Skloot
Study Guide
In 1951 a poor young black woman, Henrietta Lacks, was diagnosed with cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Cells taken from her during that exam were used – without her knowledge – to develop the first immortal cell line. The cells, called HeLa, became one of the most important tools in medical research, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and more, but Henrietta Lacks, the person who was the source of these cells, was virtually unknown, and her family was never informed about what had been achieved using her cells. Although their mother’s cells have been bought and sold by the billions the Lacks family have received nothing from those cell lines, and cannot even afford health insurance today. This book tells the stories of HeLa and of Henrietta Lacks and her descendants, especially her daughter, Deborah, who was consumed with questions about the mother she never knew. At the same time it traces the history of cell research and examines the ethical and legal issues raised by this research.
About the Author
Rebecca Skloot is an award-winning science writer, with a B.S. in biological sciences and an MFA in creative writing. She first heard about Henrietta Lacks and HeLa in a community college biology class when she was 16. As she continued her studies she became fixated on the idea of telling Henrietta’s. She spent over a decade researching and writing this story, which has been translated into over 25 languages and is now being made into an HBO movie. She is also the founder and president of the Henrietta Lacks Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to needy individuals who have made important contributions to scientific research without personally benefitting from those contributions, particularly those used in research without their knowledge or consent.
Note to Instructors
This book combines two different
Rebecca Skloot
Study Guide
In 1951 a poor young black woman, Henrietta Lacks, was diagnosed with cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Cells taken from her during that exam were used – without her knowledge – to develop the first immortal cell line. The cells, called HeLa, became one of the most important tools in medical research, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and more, but Henrietta Lacks, the person who was the source of these cells, was virtually unknown, and her family was never informed about what had been achieved using her cells. Although their mother’s cells have been bought and sold by the billions the Lacks family have received nothing from those cell lines, and cannot even afford health insurance today. This book tells the stories of HeLa and of Henrietta Lacks and her descendants, especially her daughter, Deborah, who was consumed with questions about the mother she never knew. At the same time it traces the history of cell research and examines the ethical and legal issues raised by this research.
About the Author
Rebecca Skloot is an award-winning science writer, with a B.S. in biological sciences and an MFA in creative writing. She first heard about Henrietta Lacks and HeLa in a community college biology class when she was 16. As she continued her studies she became fixated on the idea of telling Henrietta’s. She spent over a decade researching and writing this story, which has been translated into over 25 languages and is now being made into an HBO movie. She is also the founder and president of the Henrietta Lacks Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to needy individuals who have made important contributions to scientific research without personally benefitting from those contributions, particularly those used in research without their knowledge or consent.
Note to Instructors
This book combines two different