Cells are the basic building blocks of life. They are the smallest structural unit in an organism, and the organism must continuously create more cells in order to live. New cells are created through a process called cell division, or mitosis, where one cell turns into two cells. This process is necessary for life, but occasionally the cells do not do what they are supposed to. Cancer is one example of cell malfunction. A DNA mutation can disrupt the genes in the cell and cause it to produce faulty proteins that control cell division. Cancerous cells ignore the normal signals that stop cell growth, so the abnormal cell begins to divide uncontrollably and produce a tumor. Cancer tumors can be either benign or malignant. Malignant tumors invade
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It has advanced the previous methods of medical research and made possible types of research that would have otherwise been infeasible. They are the most widely used cell line in biomedical research, and HeLa cells have been referred to in more than 74,000 scientific publications as of 2013. Dr. Walter Nelson-Rees of the National Cancer Institute says, "You can do with cells of a human being what you cannot do with a human being himself" ("Ebony," 2015). For example, HeLa cells are used to test human sensitivity of radiation, toxic substances, glue, tape, cosmetics, and irritants on human skin. Also, in 1973, scientists used HeLa cells to study the invasiveness and infectiousness of salmonella and the behavior of salmonella in human cells. HeLa cell research has also resulted in the development of drugs for treating herpes, leukemia, parkinson’s disease, hemophilia, and influenza. Research on cancer, AIDs, and gene mapping has been made possible because of the discovery of HeLa cells, which opens the gateway to modern cancer treatments. Another result of HeLa cell research is the creation of in vitro fertilization. HeLa cells even went into space before astronauts to test how human cells would be affected in a different environment. But the most important thing resulting from HeLa cell research is the creation of the polio vaccine by Jonas Salk. Salk used HeLa cells to test the effectiveness of his vaccine by mixing HeLa cells, the polio virus, and an unvaccinated child 's blood in a test tube. The vaccine adds antibodies to the blood which prevent the virus from killing the cells. In addition to all of these discoveries, researchers have also created a whole new virus by combining ribonucleic acid from the polio virus and the cytoplasm and ribosomes of HeLa cells. That was important because previously scientists had thought that viruses could only reproduce in whole cells. That
It has advanced the previous methods of medical research and made possible types of research that would have otherwise been infeasible. They are the most widely used cell line in biomedical research, and HeLa cells have been referred to in more than 74,000 scientific publications as of 2013. Dr. Walter Nelson-Rees of the National Cancer Institute says, "You can do with cells of a human being what you cannot do with a human being himself" ("Ebony," 2015). For example, HeLa cells are used to test human sensitivity of radiation, toxic substances, glue, tape, cosmetics, and irritants on human skin. Also, in 1973, scientists used HeLa cells to study the invasiveness and infectiousness of salmonella and the behavior of salmonella in human cells. HeLa cell research has also resulted in the development of drugs for treating herpes, leukemia, parkinson’s disease, hemophilia, and influenza. Research on cancer, AIDs, and gene mapping has been made possible because of the discovery of HeLa cells, which opens the gateway to modern cancer treatments. Another result of HeLa cell research is the creation of in vitro fertilization. HeLa cells even went into space before astronauts to test how human cells would be affected in a different environment. But the most important thing resulting from HeLa cell research is the creation of the polio vaccine by Jonas Salk. Salk used HeLa cells to test the effectiveness of his vaccine by mixing HeLa cells, the polio virus, and an unvaccinated child 's blood in a test tube. The vaccine adds antibodies to the blood which prevent the virus from killing the cells. In addition to all of these discoveries, researchers have also created a whole new virus by combining ribonucleic acid from the polio virus and the cytoplasm and ribosomes of HeLa cells. That was important because previously scientists had thought that viruses could only reproduce in whole cells. That