honors essay

Henrietta Lacks Essay Assignment

write at least a five-paragraph essay on one of the following topics.

You will need to use evidence from the book “The Immortal Henrietta Lacks”, by Rebecca Skloot, and at 3 other sources. For the book, look online or check your nearest local library. The other 3 sources have to be good sources.

Topics: (pick 1)

1.Discuss the historical and contemporary influence that journalists writing about science have had on public perception and understanding of the subject. Why do you think science reporting is often sensationalized? Why is it important for science reporting to be accessible? How has fear or Lacks of understanding influenced public policy relating to science?

2.Research the history of scientific experimentation on humans in the United States. What types of experiments have been done, and how did researchers find test subjects? Why did scientists find it necessary to conduct research on human beings? How did the development of HeLa cells change the way research could be conduct be conducted? What attempts (e.g. Nuremberg) have been made to govern the way this research is conducted, and how successful have these attempts been?

3.Study recent legal disputes over the collection and use of tissue samples. Specific cases to consider include the lawsuit filed by the Havasupai tribe against Arizona State University, the lawsuit filed by Texas parents over the collection of blood samples from their newborn children, and the controversy over the University of California at Berkeley’s request that incoming freshman submits DNA samples.

do tell which topic you will select