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The Quest for Eternal Life: HeLa Cells' Legacy ⚛️
Delve into the mysteries of immortality through HeLa cells in scientific research.
Hey ! Let us travel back in time to the 1950s. Henrietta Lacks was an interesting African American woman from Baltimore, Virginia.
She had no idea that her visit to the hospital for cancer treatment would result in a legacy that would upend the scientific community.
HeLa, these incredible robust cells that just kept multiplying and defied all predictions, emerged from a small sample of her cells.
Born from the unassuming confines of Henrietta Lacks' biopsy, HeLa cells emerged as the unsung heroes of biomedical research.
Their remarkable resilience and perpetual growth have revolutionized our understanding of cancer and viral infections.
Get ready to witness the inspiring journey of HeLa cells unfold right before you!
Henrietta Lacks: Igniting the Story Behind HeLa Cells?
Henrietta Lacks, an African American lady, received treatment for cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1951, which marked the beginning of the tale behind HeLa cells.
The cells from her tumor were taken for scientific study without her knowledge or consent.
The HeLa cells were the first human cells to proliferate and divide endlessly in culture. Since then, HeLa cells have developed into vital resources for scientific research, helping us learn more about virology, cancer, cell biology, and other topics.
The Eternity of Cells
The immortality of HeLa cells is one of their most interesting features. HeLa cells are immortal, in contrast to typical human cells, which divide only a certain number of times before going through apoptosis or senescence.
The maintenance of telomere length—the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes—is ascribed to the expression of telomerase, which is responsible for this immortality.
According to studies, HeLa cells exhibit high telomerase activity, which enables them to evade cellular senescence and stop telomere shortening.