This document discusses the HeLa cell line, which was derived from cancerous cervical tumor cells taken from Henrietta Lacks in 1951 without her consent. Her cells were the first immortalized human cell line and were a major breakthrough as they could be kept alive and proliferate in laboratory cultures. This enabled numerous scientific milestones and advances, including the development of the polio vaccine. HeLa cells have since been extensively used in medical research, with over 20 tons of the cells grown and 11,000 patents involving them. However, Henrietta Lacks' family did not learn about her immortalized cells being used for research until the 1970s, raising ethical issues around informed consent and commercialization of human cells.