Life Of Henrietta Lacks By Rebecca Skloot

392 Words2 Pages
This is an optional assignment that will replace a low or missing test score. Read the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Write a short paper (at least two pages double spaced) about a biological aspect of the book. Below are some suggestions for topics or you can come up with your own, as long as it centers around biology. Cite sources, including the assigned book and the textbook (if you use it). No internet sources No direct quotes (even of you put quotation marks around them) Must be turned in both through blackboard and turnitin.com Due Friday, May 11 2012 Suggestions for topics: 1. Take one of the Chapters we covered in class and write about how the material you learned in class is relevant to Henrietta Lacks, HeLa cells and the advances made using them. Good chapters to choose could be Cancer (obviously), Reproduction, STDs, Cells or DNA technology, although I think any to the chapters should work. 2. In the Afterword, Skloot summarizes the main issues and legislation surrounding the collection and use of human tissue samples. Using her summary as an outline, examine the evolution of laws concerning tissue research and write a persuasive paper on the issue of whether or not people should be given legal ownership of, and/or control over, their tissues. 3. 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 lack of understanding influenced public policy relating to science? 4. Using the book as a guide, describe the process of scientific inquiry. Examine the often contradictory forces of altruism and profit as they influenced research related to HeLa. What are the risks and benefits of

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