1. Should tissue be removed from a patient without his or her consent for research? 2. How was the HeLa cell line cultured?

3. What virus infected Henrietta Lacks and may have caused her cervical cancer? What cellular process is affected by this virus?

4. Was there bias in the way Henrietta Lacks was treated at Johns Hopkins?

5. Put the use of HeLa cells on trial. Debate what is more important: an individual’s rights to his/her own body tissues or the medical knowledge gained by studying a patient’s tissues?

6. Should Henrietta Lacks’ family be compensated for the discoveries made using her cells?

7. Do companies or universities have the right to patent discoveries made using a patient’s tissues or genes without consulting the patient?

8. What other legal and ethical questions are raised by this book?