How Did Henrietta Lacks And Phineas Contribute To Science?

While all three- said three being Henrietta Lacks, Douglas Mawson, and Phineas Gage- went through many adversities and encountered countless troublesome situations and people, Douglas Mawson endured the most hardships and adversities- both physically, mentally, and emotionally. Henrietta Lacks had to face the removal of her cells without permission, as well as cervical cancer; the adversity that took her life. Phineas Gage had to fight through all of the issues that came with having a metal pole blasted through his head. Meanwhile, Mawson had to combat the harsh conditions of Antarctica while attempting to carry through with his expedition. Therefore, Douglas Mawson faced the most adversity and hardships whilst on his journey toward scientific …show more content…
While Lacks and Phineas did contribute to science greatly, they gave mostly to the health-related category of science- Phineas with surviving having a pole blown through his skull and frontal lobe, and Lacks with contributing her “immortal cells,” (though it was done without her knowledge)- their challenges and adversities didn’t really show mental or emotional damage or problems. As explained by the creator of the video, “The Man with the Hole in His Brain,” Phineas Gage allowed doctors and scientists to understand that a human could survive damage to the skull and frontal lobe without dying, though Phineas faced many problems along the way, such as a fungal infection which he had to have drained through his nose, and suffering from symptoms similar to those of Alzheimer’s disease. Those challenges, while still harsh and difficult to face, weren’t much compared to the frostbite, wounds, and injuries Mawson would have (and did) sustain on his journey to return to the Aurora, the ship taking the crew from Antarctica, back to Australia. On the other hand, Henrietta Lacks contributed differently, with the unknowing contribution of her “immortal cells.” According to Dale Keiger, the author of “Immortal Cells, Enduring Issues,” these cells were taken without her knowledge, or her family’s knowledge, and were placed inside a lab; the cells then reproduced, and doubled, in the small period of twenty-four hours, and have never stopped. The cells now reside in laboratories all across the world, each lab having uncountable numbers of her cells. Lacks’s “immortal cells” have helped in the development of many medical advances, including the polio vaccine, chemotherapy, and assist in the treatments for influenza, leukemia, and Parkinson’s disease. This contribution, while also enormously useful to science, wasn’t much compared to the conditions Mawson