I am reading a fabulous book that some of you might be interested in. Here's the link to the author's website: http://rebeccaskloot.com/the-immortal-life/. Since my family is sick of hearing me talk about it, I thought I'd try you all!When I taught high school biology we did a unit on cell division. Every year I would order "HeLa cells" from a biological supply house. They were cheap! My students would process and stain them and then look at the chromosomes under the microscope. It was way cool!! All I knew was the cells came from a woman named Henrietta Lacks who died of cervical cancer in 1951. Her cells have been dividing in culture ever since.
Little did I know the whole story of Henrietta and her family. She never knew her cells were taken. Her family never knew. And yet they have been used in some of the world's most important scientific breakthroughs - the polio vaccine, for example. Billions of dollars have been made, yet Henrietta's family got nothing. Her name is unknown - she is buried in an unmarked grave. This book is about racism, ethics, poverty, scandal, and scientific discovery. And it reads like a novel - fascinating!!
Let me know what you think!!
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