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| HeLa Cells |
HeLa cells, the most common used human cell line, has been successfully sequenced. The HeLa cell has never been sequenced before because it is way more genetically complex compared to normal human tissue. However, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg have done the impossible. HeLa cells have provided effective and usable biological models for researching human biology and even disease. It has been regarded as the "industry standard" tool for studying human biology. Also, studies of the HeLa cell have led to advancements in cancer, HIV/AIDS, and even the development of the polio vaccine. With this all taking place before the cell had even been successfully sequenced, imagine what will happen in the near future.
Themes of N.O.S.-
- Science is collaborative- many scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg have researching the HeLa cell.
- Science is base on evidence- data has been collected.
- Science is subject to debate and tentative- this is the first HeLa cell to be sequenced, no one is positive that it is correct.
- Role of credibility- the European Molecular Biology Laboratory is known to have many credible scientists.
- Role of skepticism- no one is sure that the sequenced HeLa cell is correct.
- Conflicts within the scientific community- the HeLa cell is the most common human cell line, which is in everyone's own body.
- Role of motivation and curiosity- without being sequenced the HeLa cell has helped in many discoveries. Now that it is sequence it may unlock many new secrets to the world.
I thought this was a really cool post. It's amazing to think this all originated in 1951 from a deadly cervical tumor taken from the patient Henrietta Lacks. A HeLa cell is a line, or population, of cells taken from a person and used in scientific research, and it was named after Henrietta. It is the most commonly used cell line and is known for being extremely resilient.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=famous-hela-human-cell-line-gets-its-dna-sequenced
This post was really interesting, because I read a book about Henrietta Lacks. Her cells operate like cancer, as the telomeres never shorten, so the cells can continue to divide, which makes them 'immortal'. Many scientists think that these cells may provide the link to curing cancer or HIV/AIDS.
ReplyDeletehttp://science.howstuffworks.com/life/cellular-microscopic/hela-cell.htm
I thought that this was really interesting. It's incredible that scientists were able to develop a vaccine for polio with cells from a women with cervical cancer. It would be fun to learn more about these cells and how they helped with so many scientific discoveries.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Henrietta-Lacks-Immortal-Cells.html
HeLa cells are the first continuous cancer cell line and were discovered in a cervical cancer patient over 60 years ago. The doctor who retrieved them from the patient was Dr. George Gey of John Hopkins University Medical School. Since then, they have been frequently used in bio-medicine to help culture viruses.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hela%20cell