Human Anatomy & Physiology
Summer Assignment
All typed assignments must include the following heading:
Name (first and last)
Assignment Description
Subject/Class period
Due Date
Part #1 Summer Reading
THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS
WEBQUEST
A descendent of freed slaves, Henrietta Lacks was an African
American tobacco farmer who got cervical cancer when she
was 30. A doctor at Johns Hopkins took a piece of her tumor
and put it in a test tube without her consent or knowledge and,
although she died 8 months later, her cells-known worldwide as
HeLa cells-are still alive today. This is her story…
YOUR ASSIGNMENT: I recommend reading the book in its entirety to fully appreciate it. But for
your assignment focus on reading these chapters and type your responses to the questions I have listed
below.

PROLOGUE: The Woman in the Photograph

CHAPTER 3: Diagnosis and Treatment
1) What type of cancer was Henrietta Lacks diagnosed with? Describe the two versions.
2) In the middle of the 20th century, doctors had very different attitudes towards using patients for
research than they do today. Discuss the attitude at Johns Hopkins Medical Center in 1950,
particularly in regards to patients at the public ward.
3) What is an “immortal human cell line” and why was it considered desirable for research?

CHAPTER 4: The Birth of HeLa
1) Before the cultivation of HeLa cells, what were two major obstacles to growing cells in culture?
Describe efforts to eliminate these problems.
2) How fast did the HeLa cell line grow once it was established?

CHAPTER 7: The Death and Life of Cell Culture
1) What did George Gey do with HeLa cells once he had a successful cell line growing?

CHAPTER 13: The HeLa Factory
1) Discuss how Jonas Salk’s discovery of the polio vaccine in 1952 led to the establishment of a
large-scale production of the HeLa cell line.
2) At the Tuskegee Institute, how many HeLa cell cultures (and cells) were being produced once
they reached peak production?
3) Discuss the role of the establishment of Microbiological Associates in the spread of HeLa cells in
research. How did Microbiological Associates benefit?
4) This chapter discusses many ways in which HeLa cells were used in important biological
research. Summarize the medical and cell research for which HeLa proved useful.

CHAPTER 17: Illegal, Immoral, and Deplorable
1) Describe virologist Chester Southams’s research, begun in 1954, involving the injection of HeLa
cells into patients and volunteers.
2) What is the “Nuremberg Code” and what was its origin?
3) Discuss how Southam’s research violated the legal concept of “informed consent” discussed on
p. 132 (page may vary depending on text)

CHAPTER 20: The HeLa Bomb
1) What was the “technical problem” that announced by Stanley Gartler in 1966?
2) Why did concern over the “HeLa Bomb” lead to scientists contacting the descendants of
Henrietta Lacks in an attempt to obtain more cell and DNA samples?

CHAPTER 21: Night Doctors along with CHAPTER 6: “Lady’s on the Phone”
1) In Ch. 6: Based on Ms. Skloot’s discussion with Dr. Pattillo, describe the Tuskegee Syphilis
Studies.
2) What other experiences of the Lacks family with Johns Hopkins contributed to their distrust of
the institution and researchers there?

CHAPTER 22: “The Fame She So Richly Deserves”
1) Describe the fate of Dr. George Gey, and how this led to Henrietta’s Lacks name being first
published as the source of HeLa cells.
2) What role did Walter Nelson-Rees play in getting Henrietta’s name in the public eye?

CHAPTER 27: The Secret of Immortality
1) What was German virologist Harald zur Hausen’s 1984 discovery about HeLa cells and
Henrietta’s original disease?
2) How does the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) work? How did it give Henrietta Lacks cancer?
3) Describe the role of HeLa research in uncovering information about the AIDS virus.

CHAPTER 32: “All That’s My Mother”
Henrietta Lacks’ daughter Deborah and youngest son Zakariyya finally get to visit a lab using their
mother’s cell line.
1) Dr. Christoph Lengauer gave the author and the two family members a tour of his lab, and helped
dispel several misconceptions held by the family. Summarize a few of the things that he taught
them about Henrietta’s cells and the HeLa cell line.
AFTERWORD:
Rebecca Skloot notes two major ethical issues that to a large degree still need to be resolved: the
issue of consent (should patients be informed if and how their tissue is being used in research?
Should patients give permission?) and money (who owns cells and tissues? Who should profit from
their use in science?). Read the afterword (also Chapter 25: “Who Told You You Could Sell My
Spleen?” is very informative) and provide your reactions and responses to these question in
particular:


Should hospitals be required to obtain patient consent to take and use tissues in all
circumstances? Do all citizens have an obligation to help medical research? Do you think
consent should be obtained in all cases, or just for certain experiments?
Who owns tissues and organs? If your cells or DNA lead to a major discovery with financial
implications, who should profit? The person or the researcher? Should patients be told that
their cells or DNA may lead to potential financial benefits?
Part #2 Anatomical Terminology & Body Systems
Anatomical Terminology: Use the following link as an introduction to the study of anatomy and
physiology. The information provided will serve as a solid foundation for the language used by anatomist
in describing general directional terminology, sectional planes, body cavities, and specific regions of the
body. Be prepared to demonstrate your knowledge of this information the first day of class.
http://homepage.smc.edu/wissmann_paul/anatomy1textbook/1anatomytextch1.html
Body Systems: Use the following link as an introduction to the major body systems. Create a chart using
the example below to identify the body system, role/major functions of the system, and the representative
structures associated with that system (i.e. organs, glands, parts, etc.). Be prepared to discuss this
information the first day of class. You will be assessed over this information the first week of class.
http://homepage.smc.edu/wissmann_paul/anatomy1textbook/1anatomytextch1.html
Chart Example: This is only an example to help you organize your information; your chart should include
more details.
Body System
Integumentary
Skeletal
Functions
(1) Protection (explanation)
(2) …
(1) Framework (explanation)
(2) …
Structures
(1) Skin (2)…
(1) Bones (2)…