Summary: The Life Of Henrietta Lacks

The novel “The Life of Henrietta Lacks” raises many controversies between ethics and science due to the fact that ethics was not yet a crucial role in science. Scientists have been experimenting on Henrietta’s cells (HeLa) cells for decades, and even now the cells are being used in labs. Since the HeLa cells divide indefinitely, scientists can study and analyze them without running out of supplies. Over the years, these cells have greatly contributed to science, but more specifically, the vaccine for polio. Polio is an infectious disease caused by a virus that claimed thousands of lives worldwide. In February 1952, Jonas Salk claimed he had developed a vaccine for the poliovirus, but he needed large quantities of cultured cells to test the vaccine before selling it for public use. …show more content…
If the vaccine worked the cells would be protected, but if the vaccine did not work scientists would see the damage caused by the virus under a microscope. When the NFIP contacted George Gey to mass-produce cells to test the poliovirus vaccine, Gey and his colleagues injected the HeLa cells with poliovirus. As a result, they determined that HeLa cells were very susceptible to the poliovirus. This indicated that the experimentation of the vaccine could be continued, which later proved to be effective and was sold for public use. The vaccine for polio has greatly benefitted the human race due to its effectiveness in deactivating the poliovirus to stop the virus from damaging more cells. The polio vaccine succeeded in decreasing the amount of deaths caused by the poliovirus, and will continue to do so in the future. Now, there are only a few endemic countries for the poliovirus, but soon polio can be eradicated