Immortality

Immortality has been sought after for centuries. Continents have been discovered and conquered in search of the fabled Fountain of Youth, which was believed to give immortality. However, with the help of HeLa cells, scientists are closer than ever to discovering the secret to immortality.

HeLa cells have been the foundation for most medical advancements over the last few decades. They are named after Henrietta Lacks, who suffered from cancer. When she went to have a tumor removed, the doctor treating her also took healthy cells. Without her consent, the doctor studied these cells and found some very unusual qualities. HeLa cells are heavily mutated cancer cells. What makes them so valuable is that these cells are immortal. HeLa cells replicate without end due to the lack of telomeres. Telomeres are attached to the ends of all cells, and after each cell division, the telomere gets shorter. After the telomere is gone, the cell can no longer divide. This is the reason humans can't live past the age of about 120 - the telomeres on our cells run out and cannot divide, so our organs fail. HeLa cells, since they have no telomeres, never stop dividing and are immortal. After the doctor who took the HeLa cells discovered their potential, he cultivated the cells and began researching them. Eventually, several companies obtained the HeLa cells and some incredibly important medical advancements were made using these cells. Companies made millions of dollars from researching Henrietta Lacks' cells. Unfortunately, neither she nor her family ever saw a penny of this money.

Of course, humans are far from discovering immortality. HeLa cells may be immortal, but they are also cancerous and heavily mutated. However, HeLa cells may become the important first step on the road to prolonging human life. Although Henrietta Lacks has passed away, her cells and the discoveries made because of them will far outlive her.