Rebecca Skloot

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

1. IDEA 1

   A woman's cells changed medicine

   Skloot tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, a poor Black tobacco farmer whose cancer cells were taken during treatment in 1951 without her knowledge. These cells, called HeLa, became the first human cells to grow indefinitely in a laboratory.

2. IDEA 2

   Her cells never stopped growing

   Scientists discovered that Henrietta's cells could grow and divide endlessly. This made them extremely valuable for research. Skloot shows that this unusual quality allowed researchers around the world to run tests that were not possible before.

3. IDEA 3

   HeLa helped science advance

   Skloot describes how HeLa cells helped develop the polio vaccine and advance research on cancer, viruses and genetics. They were used worldwide. Skloot shows that one woman's cells ended up helping millions of people she never knew.

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