Essay On Henrietta Lacks

On October 4, 1951, Henrietta Lacks died of aggressive cervical cancer at only 31 years old. What she did not know at the time of her death, however, is that Dr. George Otto Gey would discover that cells taken from her body continued to replicate without dying. These cells are used in research for many diseases, as well as being sent into space. This first immortal cell line has impacted history greatly, consequently changing the course of the medical field entirely. Henrietta Lacks is the most significant person in history as her cells have contributed to important research, launched a multibillion dollar industry, and her situation has shed light on certain issues in the medical field. Primarily, the cells remain acknowledged predominantly for their use in medical research.

For example, her cells, taken for use in a lab test, kept multiplying, resulting in their use for research conducted without her consent. Thereupon, the market began. An insufficient amount of the researchers conducting experiments with the cells knew her name, it took 20 years for its publication. The family was not informed about her cells prior to this time. For a lengthy period, they had not had a say in what happened to her cells. At one point, a German science group had electronically published Henrietta’s entire genomic sequence. This greatly upset her family as it showed the whole world their own potential medical risks as well as her entire DNA code, which is something they would rather remain private. Instances like these have also shed light on the fact that it is completely legal for doctors to use a person’s cells to create a new cell line or use them in research. In fact, people have no property rights over samples taken from their bodies. Henrietta’s case has raised much needed awareness that there are problems in the medical field surrounding privacy and