HeLa is short for Henrietta Lacks, the woman from whose cervical cancer cells the HeLa cell line was derived. These cells, incredibly significant in medical research, are known for their unique ability to continuously grow and divide in a laboratory setting – a characteristic that makes them "immortal" for research purposes.
The Significance of HeLa Cells
HeLa cells have played a crucial role in numerous breakthroughs in biomedical research, including:
- Development of the polio vaccine
- Cancer research
- Gene mapping
- In vitro fertilization (IVF)
The use of HeLa cells revolutionized biological research due to their readily available and robust nature.
The name "HeLa" is a simple and direct abbreviation of the patient's first and last name, serving as a lasting tribute and acknowledgement of Henrietta Lacks' unintentional contribution to science.
