On 4 October 1951, Henrietta Lacks died. However, in death, she was transformed. Her cervical cancer cells, taken without her knowledge, would revolutionize the medical world by aiding in the development of gene mapping, cloning, and the polio vaccine (Skloot, 96). The method used by her Johns Hopkins doctors to gain access to her immortal cells was nothing short of unethical. Medical consent hardly existed in 1950, and doctors were able to take anything from patients they deemed valuable…
Niccolo Machiavelli influences rulers and leaders throughout history such as Otto Von Bismarck, King Henry VIII, and Adolf Hitler. In Machiavelli's book The Prince he gives political advice on how to ruler and govern their land and to gain power. He says it's better to be cruel than merciful and that it's better to be stingy than generous. Bismarck, Henry VIII, and Hitler follow his advice on how to be a good ruler. Niccolo Machiavelli was a diplomat and writer who was born on May 3, 1469 and…
Blood and Iron: Production from Destruction Bryce K. Richards The idea that a nation can be ruled through violence and war is one that is, at first, frowned upon but in regards to leadership it can be seen as quite effective. Otto Von Bismarck introduced his version of this method of governing during his speech justifying the increase in military spending in Prussia September 29 of 1862. He mentioned the phrase for which he was remembered in that he stated that a nation is better run “not…
HeLa cells are cancer cells that come from a human’s cervix. These cells were the first of human cancer cells to be continuously cultured and led to many other strains of cells that could also be used for experimentation. When a cell is cultured that means that the cell is removed from an animal or plant and instead grown in an artificial environment. These cells were important to study because they grow extremely fast if they have the right conditions and enough space. Most cancer cells do…
occupy German led to the establishment of a movement called German Nationalism that resisted his attempts to invade and conquer Germany. Germans wanted to be independent and thus keep invaders away. Nationalism provoked German under the leadership of Otto von Bismarck to establish the German Unification ideology that provoked the Austro-Prussian War that ensured a win against Austria in 1866 (Smith 59). In addition, the ideology strengthened Germans’ resolve that ignited the Franco-Prussian War…
Dr. Gey's use of Henrietta Lacks cervical tissue was unethical and disrespectful to the patient. His wicked nature stole her cells without consent used the cells to make some of the most astonishing research. This immortal act of Dr. Gey, was wrong, regardless of his curiosity. Even though, he was the head of tissue culture at John Hopkins and that was his main focus, taking her cells without permission and use them to make millions of dollars displayed an improper and unprofessional behavior.…
In 1951, doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital took cell samples from a cancer patient without her knowledge or permission. This woman, Henrietta Lacks, has been a controversial topic ever since. For years, Dr. George Gey had been trying to make human cells divide and multiply continuously, and when the cell sample that had been taken from Mrs. Lacks began to do just that, he was understandably ecstatic. Having a limitless supply of living human cells allowed doctors to test how human cells reacted…
1. What was the chief injustice of the book? The chief injustice was the lack of informed consent and privacy violation. The scientific community was largely convinced that the HeLa cells had been donated. In reality, Henrietta Lacks, as a patient at John Hopkins, had not been informed that samples from her cervix were collected, nor had she been asked if she was interested in being a donor (p. 33). HeLa cells made large contributions to science, but they have exclusively benefitted companies…
Rebecca Skloot’s book, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”, combines investigative reporting and scientific research to expose the race, gender, socioeconomic status, and bioethical issues regarding HeLa cells. As the story unfolds, Henrietta Lacks, a poor black women, seeks treatment in 1951 for gynecological issues at Johns Hopkins Hospital. As A result, a few days later she receives the diagnosis of epidermoid carcinoma of the cervix, stage I. Not long after, Henrietta had her first…
My role as a social worker would have been to help the family as much as I can get through the complications they faced. I would offer services like educating them about informed consent, provide crisis counseling, and I would try to get every member of the Lacks family the free health insurance they obviously deserve. Slavin who died 21years ago, has special cells like how Henrietta has special cells. Slavin cells produced extremely valuable proteins that were important for scientific research.…