Introduction: In 1951, the first immortal cell line was created by a doctor at Johns Hopkins Hospital using tissue samples taken from a young black woman named Henrietta Lacks. His cells would come to be known as HeLa cells, and for the longest time, the owner of these cells was a mystery; even his family didn't know them. In the years to come, its cells will be used in many important medical and scientific advances. During this period, HeLa cells proved critical to polio vaccine development, genetic mapping, and in vitro fertilization. They would even be sent into space to see how cells would react in zero gravity. Since the beginning of this mode of research, people's perceptions of what constitutes moral behavior towards patients and in particular the harvesting of cells from patients have changed. Over time, other doctors took cells from patients without their consent and used them for research purposes. From there, people began to think about how ethical this was, and especially whether the potential for scientific or medical advancement outweighed the injustices imposed by failure to obtain patient consent . It could be argued that, in the realm of ethical behavior and medical advancements, it might be necessary and acceptable to take cell or tissue samples without patient consent. And even if these cells and the research on these cells did not affect the patient, what advantages and disadvantages might arise from obtaining or not obtaining the patient's consent? Discussion: Even since ancient times, it was recognized that doctors had power over their patients, and that this responsibility must have ethical implications. This was first depicted in the Hippocratic Oath, which was created by an ancient Greek...... middle of paper ....... 2014 "History of Medicine". History of medicine. History learning site, nd Web. February 23, 2014. “INFORMED CONSENT.” INFORMED CONSENT. Np, and Web. February 23, 2014. “Nazi Medical Experiments: Background and Overview.” » Background and overview of Nazi medical experiments. Jewish Virtual Library, nd Web. February 23, 2014. “The Nuremberg Code.” United States Department of Health and Human Services. US Department of Health and Human Services, nd Web. February 21, 2014. SPECIAL PROGRAM FOR RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH TRAINING IN HUMAN REPRODUCTION GUIDELINES FOR OBTAINING INFORMED CONSENT FOR OBTAINING AND USE OF HUMAN TISSUES, CELLS AND FLUIDS IN RESEARCH. Np: World Health Organization, nd PDF. Tyson, Peter. “The Hippocratic Oath Today.” PBS. PBS, March 27, 2001. Web. February 21, 2014. Skloot, Rebecca. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. New York: Crown, 2010. Print.