Which immortalized cell line was derived from Henrietta Lacks' cervical cancer cells without consent?

• A. HeLa
• B. Informed consent
• C. Autonomy
• D. Tuskegee experiment

Answer: (A)

Immortalized cell lines are cells that can divide indefinitely in culture, providing a stable, long‑term resource for research. Henrietta Lacks’ case is a foundational example: her cervical cancer cells were taken without her consent in 1951, grown in the lab, and found to reproduce endlessly. This led to the first widely used immortal cell line, named HeLa after Henrietta Lacks. HeLa cells became essential for countless advances in medicine, from vaccine development to cancer and virology research. The other terms reflect ethical principles or historical events rather than a cell line: informed consent is about obtaining permission, autonomy concerns individual decision-making, and the Tuskegee experiment refers to an unethical study—none of these are the cell line derived from Henrietta Lacks.