Henrietta Lacks: A name unknown until recent years. A name that in the world was known only as HeLa; The first two letters of a name that belonged to a poor African American tobacco farmer who unknowingly changed science and life as we know it today. His life has finally been portrayed in a very intimate story that not only does it justice but also transcendentally brings to mind the philosophical questions regarding medical ethics of both the past, present and future. In a world of ever-evolving medical advancement, science is a critical force pushing ideas forward. While most will agree that the knowledge and cures found are a positive, there is also a necessary evil at play, even when it comes to HeLa cells. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is the unique story of a woman who spent her life in poverty, grappling with racism, and succumbing to cervical cancer, only to have her cells unknowingly taken and transformed into the first immortal cell line grown in culture. Today, Henrietta's cells are known throughout science as HeLa cells, controversially in use since 1951. The author, Mrs. Rebecca Skloot, has spent ten long years of her life bringing this extraordinary story to light, weaving together the own journey into Henrietta's story, and even forming bonds with some of the remaining members of her family. The Lacks family only learned of her immortality about twenty years after her death, unaware that laboratories across the planet were filled with millions of HeLa cells. This story is sure to evoke some emotion and is a great basis for forming your own opinions on medical ethics. Does DNA define who we are? Being human is a biological, theological and ethical question. We are at...... halfway through the document ......weill.cornell.edu/news/releases/wcmc/wcmc_2013/03_25_13b.shtml.“Privacy and Medicine (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).” Accessed November 7, 2013. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/privacy-medicine/#ProPri.“Private Companies Own Your DNA – Again – Forbes.” Accessed November 7, 2013. http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensalzberg/2011/07/31/private-companies-own-your-dna-again/.“Sandra S. Park | American Civil Liberties Union." Accessed November 20, 2013. https://www.aclu.org/blog/author/sandra-s-park. "Supreme Court Strikes BRCA Gene Patent - ABC News." Accessed November 20, 2013. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/supreme-court-strikes-brca-gene-patent/story?id=19392299.“What rights should you have over your DNA? | SmartPlanet.” Accessed November 7, 2013. http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/rethinking-healthcare/what-rights-should-you-have-to-your-own-dna/8872.