The World's Best Book Summaries
Who is author Rebecca Skloot? Where did she get the idea for her book about Henrietta Lacks? How did Skloot research and write the book that went on to become an HBO miniseries? Rebecca Skloot is the author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. She studied biology in college and became a science reporter before writing the book. Learn about author Rebecca Skloot and what sparked her interest in Henrietta Lacks and her amazing cells.
Who was the geneticist that may have revealed Henrietta’s real name? How did Victor McKusick attempt to dupe the Lacks family? Did McKusick and his postdoctoral fellow Susan Hsu do anything wrong? Victor McKusick is the geneticist at Johns Hopkins that studied the genes of Henrietta Lacks’ family. He and Susan Hsu were working on the issue of HeLa contamination. Find out what Victor McKusick and Susan Hsu did, and whether it was legal.
How have HeLa cells been used to understand viruses? What is the connection between HeLa cells, HPV, and cancer progression? Did Henrietta suffer from HPV-18? HPV-18 is a particularly severe form of HPV. After examining original tissue from Henrietta Lacks, HPV of this strain was found. Studies of HeLa cells and HPV can explain the fatal progression of Henrietta Lacks’s cancer. Read more about HeLa cells, HPV, and theories about immortality using HeLa cells.
What are the major uses of HeLa cells? Have there been any medical breakthroughs from HeLa cells? What are the HeLa cells contributions to science? There have been countless uses of HeLa cells in a variety of research fields. Beyond medical breakthroughs from HeLa cells, they’ve been used to study space travel, evaluate cosmetics, and clone cells. Learn 10 important uses of HeLa cells ranging from lifesaving to controversial mice-human hybrids.
What happens during REM sleep? How does REM sleep affect your brain? Learning what happens during REM sleep can help you understand those crazy dreams, or learn to get a better night’s sleep overall. Keep reading to find out more about what happens during REM sleep.
What is your sleep rhythm? How does it work, and why does it matter? Your sleep rhythm is the pattern your brain follows while you’re sleeping that controls your stage of sleep: REM or NREM. Your sleep rhythm effects the quality of your sleep, and can have consequences if it’s disrupted.
Do you have trouble sleeping, or wish you could get a better night’s sleep? Are you looking for ways to improve sleep? There are several ways to improve sleep, depending on what area of sleep you struggle with. Things like establishing a bedtime routine and cutting out caffeine can help you find ways to improve sleep. Read more below on the natural ways to sleep better and more.
What is REM vs. NREM sleep? How does each one affect your overall sleep cycle? REM vs. NREM sleep are the two types of sleep you experience in your sleep cycle, and your brain needs them for different things. Find out more about REM vs. NREM sleep.
Do you really need 8 hours of sleep? What happens if you don’t get 8 hours? You do, in fact, need to sleep 8 hours a night in order to be at your best physically and emotionally. Find out how you can sleep 8 hours a night to help you improve your life.
What is the correlation between lack of sleep and weight gain? Does lack of sleep really cause weight gain, or even obesity? Researchers know that sleep deprivation can cause many health risks. One of these is weight gain. While the exact reason lack of sleep and weight gain are linked is up for debate, the two are definitely linked.