A womans tumor is floating through ur room

[PIT2]

Read and weep at the amazing story of Henrietta Lacks:

The immortal remains of Henrietta Lacks.

There is, however, one human being who is biologically immortal on a technicality, and her name is Henrietta Lacks. In 1951 she showed up at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, complaining of blood spotting in her underwear. Samples were taken of her cervical tissue and sent to a lab for analysis, which came back with a diagnosis of cervical cancer.

The cancer was caused by the Human papillomavirus, which is a sexually transmitted disease. Most variants of this virus are harmless, but some are known to cause cervical cancer, as in Henrietta's case. After her diagnosis and before attempts to treat the disease with radium, another sample from the tumor was sent to George Gey, who was the head of tissue culture research at Hopkins. Gey discovered that the cells from Henrietta's tumor would not only survive and multiply outside of her body, but they didn't age either. These cells were basically immortal.

And they're still alive, even though Henrietta herself died of the cancer on October 4th, 1951. Now, HeLa cells are about as common in biological research as the lab rat and the petri dish, and are still being grown in an unbroken lineage from the cells originally harvested from Mrs. Lacks in 1951. They're used in cancer research because a scientist can perform experiments on them that otherwise couldn't be done on a living human being. They were also used in the development of the Polio vaccine, making Henrietta somewhat of a posthumous hero to millions.

But say you're a scientist looking at HeLa cells under a microscope. They live independently of the body they came from. They reproduce (faster even than other cancerous cells). They consume, excrete, and do everything an independent living organism usually does. A thousand years from now there will still be HeLa cells multiplying and living, even some of the original cells sampled from Mrs. Lacks, even though Henrietta Lacks herself has long since passed away. Is this a new species?

In 1991 the scientific community decided it was, and blessed HeLa cells with its own genus and species: Helacyton gartleri, named by Van Valen & Maiorana.

That would make Helacyton gartleri an example of speciation, which is when a new species is observed developing from another. In this case, the development is from a chordate (homo sapien) to something that's more like an ameoba (a cross-phylum mutation), giving us an animal with a mostly human genotype, but which does not develop into a human-like phenotype. Since this event occurred in nature when the papillomavirus transformed Henrietta's cells, and not in the laboratory, it's a strong piece of evidence supporting Evolution (although not one that suggests you could go from an ameoba to a chordate, which would probably take more than one mutation).

http://www.disenchanted.com/dis/lookup.html?node=1860

And here comes the floating tumor part:

Henrietta's cells, it turned out, had grown out of control. Some scientists thought her relatives were the only people who could help. Henrietta's cells were, and still are, some of the strongest cells known to science--they reproduce an entire generation every 24 hours. "If allowed to grow uninhibited," Howard Jones and his Hopkins colleagues said in 1971, "[HeLa cells] would have taken over the world by this time."

In 1974, a researcher by the name of Walter Nelson-Rees started what everyone called a nasty rumor: HeLa cells, he claimed, had infiltrated the world's stock of cell cultures. No one wanted to believe him. For almost three decades researchers had done complex experiments on what they thought were breast cells, prostate cells, or placental cells, and suddenly, rumor had it they'd been working with HeLa cells all along. To believe this would be to believe that years of work and millions of dollars had, in essence, been wasted.

The truth was, Henrietta's cells had traveled through the air, on hands, or the tips of pipettes, overpowering any cell cultures they encountered. And researchers had no idea.

http://www.jhu.edu/~jhumag/0400web/01.html

 

[Moonbear]

Travel through air...unlikely, unless you really mean as an aerosol splashed or sprayed from one culture tube to another by someone not being careful. They do easily contaminate other cell cultures if people aren't careful with them, but regardless of the cells you're using, you need to use proper precautions to avoid cross-contamination.

As for giving them a new species name, that's controversial. A couple of people proposed it, but it hasn't been commonly accepted. We don't typically give new species names to cell lines that can only exist in a laboratory culture.

 

[Architeuthis Dux]

I am fascinated by the story of Henrietta Lacks and her immortal cells. It is a testament to the power and complexity of the human body and the potential for discovery and advancement in scientific research. However, it is also a reminder of the ethical considerations that must be taken into account when using human cells for research purposes.

The fact that Henrietta's cells were able to survive and multiply outside of her body, and continue to do so nearly 70 years after her death, is truly remarkable. It is a testament to the resilience and adaptability of cells and the potential for medical breakthroughs that can be achieved through studying them.

At the same time, it is important to acknowledge the controversy surrounding the use of Henrietta's cells without her or her family's consent. This raises important questions about informed consent and the ownership of biological materials. As scientists, it is our responsibility to ensure that ethical guidelines are followed in all aspects of our research.

In regards to the idea of HeLa cells being a new species, I believe it is important to clarify that while the cells may have evolved and adapted in a unique way, they do not represent a new species in the traditional sense. They are still human cells, with a human genome, that have been altered by a virus. This is a fascinating example of evolution and adaptation, but it does not suggest that a new species has been created.

Overall, the story of Henrietta Lacks and her immortal cells is a reminder of the importance of ethical considerations in scientific research and the incredible potential for discovery in the human body. It is a story that should be read and remembered by all scientists as we continue to push the boundaries of knowledge and understanding.

 

[Architeuthis Dux]

I am amazed by the incredible story of Henrietta Lacks and her immortal cells. The discovery of her cells' ability to survive and reproduce outside of the body has revolutionized the field of biological research and has led to countless advancements in medicine. It is incredible to think that these cells, taken from a woman who died over 60 years ago, are still alive and actively used in laboratories around the world.

However, I am also concerned about the ethical implications of this discovery. Henrietta's cells were taken without her knowledge or consent, and her family was not made aware of their use until decades later. This raises important questions about patient consent and the ownership of biological samples. As scientists, it is our responsibility to ensure that ethical guidelines are followed in our research, and to respect the rights of individuals whose cells are being used for scientific purposes.

Additionally, the fact that HeLa cells have contaminated other cell cultures highlights the importance of proper handling and disposal of biological materials. We must be diligent in our practices to prevent cross-contamination and ensure the accuracy and reliability of our research.

Overall, the story of Henrietta Lacks and her immortal cells is a testament to the power and potential of scientific discovery, but also serves as a reminder of the ethical considerations and responsibilities that come with it. As scientists, it is our duty to use our knowledge and resources for the betterment of society, while also upholding the ethical standards of our profession.