I learned about this on
The Colbert Report the other night and found it absolutely fascinating.
In 1951
Henrietta Lacks was treated for cervical cancer. Without her knowledge or permission, some of the tumor cells were harvested for study (a common practice then.) It turned out those cells had an amazing property: they were immortal! Unlike most human cells which die after a few divisions, Henrietta's cells (called HeLa cells) did not. In fact they're still alive today and have been reproduced to the tune of over 50 metric tons. (That's weight, not quantity of cells.) HeLa cells have been used for scientific research in the cure for polio, AIDS, and numerous other pursuits all over the world.