Working with Henrietta Lacks by Alexandra

Working with Henrietta Lacks by Alexandra - May 2013 Scholarship Essay

Henrietta Lacks was a very quiet woman. She regularly participated in my Cell Biology class but would never say a word. We would use her for many series of experiments. This includes tonicity, transfection, cell count, intentional contamination, and so forth. This may all seem unethical. Why would you use a human for such laboratory procedures? This is because Henrietta Lacks was never present in her human form but in the form of her own epithelial cells. Henrietta Lacks was a 1950’s woman who developed cervical cancer. Her epithelial cells (HeLa cells) were the very first cells that have been cultured for a cell line by Dr. Lawrence Wharton Jr. Her cells have been used by many different scientists in the past and will continue use in the future.  Though she has passed away, her contribution to science and her cells are “immortal”. Working with HeLa cells was my favorite classroom memory. This is because I found it very extraordinary to work with cancer cells. I learned the mechanisms of cancer in the lecture and was able to witness it in the lab. I felt as if I was a professional. When my lab partners would goof off and talk about their weekends I would be fully engaged in the lab. Working with cancer cells has encouraged me to study them deeper. After this experience, I had made a decision to pursue veterinary oncology.