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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. As of the book's publication in 2009, over how many scientific articles had been published about research done on HeLa?
(a) Over 100,000.
(b) Over 70,000.
(c) Over 60,000.
(d) Over 80,000.

2. How many years in prison did Zakariyya serve of his sentence before he was released for his second-degree murder conviction?
(a) 7 years.
(b) 2 years.
(c) 9 years.
(d) 12 years.

3. Who is the director of the Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society at Vanderbilt that the author cites in the Afterword?
(a) Ellen Wright Clayton.
(b) Baruch Blumberg.
(c) Judith Greenburg.
(d) Christoph Lengauer.

4. During what decade did most U.S. states begin mandating the screening of all newborn babies for genetic diseases?
(a) The 1970s.
(b) The 1960s.
(c) The 1990s.
(d) The 1980s.

5. What does "HIPAA" represent?
(a) Human Implant or Personal Axillary Assistant.
(b) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
(c) Human Import of Pancreatic Appendage Appointment.
(d) Health Incentives and Protections of Adult Americans.

Short Answer Questions

1. On what date does Rebecca Skloot describe driving to clover in Part Three: Immortality, Chapter 38?

2. Who was the young Johns Hopkins researcher that sent a gift to Deborah Lacks by way of Rebecca Skloot when Rebecca met Deborah for the first time?

3. What had Deborah's son been arrested for when she called Rebecca Skloot sobbing at the end of Part Three: Immortality, Chapter 31?

4. What did the doctor determine when Deborah saw him after her trip to clover in Part Three: Immortality, Chapter 37?

5. Who was the founder of the biomedical ethics center at the University of Iowa?

Short Essay Questions

1. What legal options does Rebecca Skloot describe for the Lacks family in the Afterword?

2. How were Deborah and Zakariyya affected by their meeting with Christoph Lengauer at Johns Hopkins?

3. What statement did Susan Hsu make about her interactions with the Lacks family when she was interviewed by Rebecca Skloot?

4. How does Rebecca Skloot describe the financial gains of George and Margaret Gey as a result of the cultivation of HeLa cells?

5. What statement does Rebecca Skloot make about the legality of Johns Hopkins' actions in Henrietta's case in the Afterword?

6. What information did Rebecca and Deborah discover about Elsie and the conditions she lived in at Crownsville in Part Three: Immortality – Chapter 33?

7. What concerns did Deborah Lacks present to Rebecca Skloot during their first in-person meeting? What were Deborah's fears about HeLa cells and their use?

8. How effective do you think Rebecca Skloot was in giving a voice to the Lacks family in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks?

9. How did Bobbette Lacks respond when she discovered the history of HeLa cells?

10. How does the author describe the development of tissue research today? What are tissue samples used for?

(see the answer keys)

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