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Facts about Henrietta Lacks
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Science Related
Not Science Related
100

Who is the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks about?

Henrietta Lacks

100

How many kids does Henrietta have?

Five

100

What town does Henrietta move to when her mother dies?

Clover

100

What are the name of the cells named after Henrietta Lacks?

He La cells

100

Before their marriage, what relationship did Henrietta and Day have?

They're cousins

200

Who is the author of the novel?

Rebecca Skloot

200

In what state is Henrietta's hometown?

Virginia
200

What type of cancer is Henrietta diagnosed with?

Cervical cancer

200

Why were HeLa cells so valuable?

They to continued to grow after being harvested unlike other cells

200

What role did racism play in the treatment of Henrietta Lacks and her family?

Henrietta's race influenced the unethical nature of her treatment, as African Americans were often exploited in medical research during this time

300

What is the name of Henrietta's son who went to jail and converted to Islam?

Joe Lacks (Zakariyya)

300

How old was Henrietta Lacks when she became pregnant with her fifth child?

29

300

What hospital did David Lacks bring his wife to on Jan. 29, 1951?

John Hopkins

300

What vaccine did Henrietta's cells help create?

The polio vaccine

300

What is the name of the section of Clover, VA that Henrietta is from?

Lacks Town

400

Who is Elsie Pleasant?

Elsie Pleasant is Henrietta's daughter who endures mental challenges and seizures 

400

What was Henrietta Lacks's name at birth?

Loretta Pleasant

400

What year does Henrietta die?

1951

400

What was the initial scientific use of the HeLa cells after they were obtained from Henrietta Lacks?

To test the effects of antibiotics and other drugs

400

After Henrietta's death, which relatives ended up watching/raising the youngest Lacks children?

Galen and Ethel

500

Who is Ronald Pattillo?

A professor of gynecology at Morehouse and one of George Gey’s only African American students. He also is Rebecca's original link to the Lacks family.

500

What was the official cause of Henrietta's death?

Uremia

500

When was the hospital Henrietta went to founded?

John Hopkins was founded in 1889

500

How does the medical community react to the use of Henrietta Lacks’s cells without her consent?

The scientific community is initially unaware of the unethical nature of the cell collection

500

Where did scientist Chester South look for healthy individuals willing to have cancerous HeLa cells injected into them?

Ohio State Penitentiary