My friend Adam came to visit me this week, he showed me the Hela Cell. The Hela cell line is an immortal strain of cells that can divide an unlimited amount of times, unlike most cell strains which can divide only a certain number of times before termination. These particular cells were taken from the cervix of Henrietta Lacks around the 1950s right before her death.
The phenomenal thing about these rare cells, is that they can be used for medical research since they divide over and over again. Over 300 research papers are being done each month using or referencing the Hela Cells.
I plan to look into some of this research, and try to understand the Hela cells a little better. What makes the Hela cells circumvent the normal life expectancy of a cell? I find it to be a very exciting topic and look forward to learning more about it.
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