1950s Cells Still Alive and Helping Science

In 1951, woman named Henrietta Lacks went to Johns Hopkins Hospital to be treated for cervical cancer. Unbeknownst to her, cells from her biopsy were made available to biological researchers.

Lacks died later that year, but her cell line — known as HeLa — lives on. A new book titled The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks examines the extraordinary impact of HeLa on science and the effects of that unchosen legacy on Lacks’ family.

Click to enlarge the picture below, which includes a detailed timeline of HeLa's impact on science. Click here to see the original Wired article.