HeLa cell
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Legal, Financial, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
HeLa cell
(hĕl′ə)n.
Any of the cells of the first continuously cultured human carcinoma strain, originally obtained from cancerous cervical tissue and maintained for use in biomedical research.
The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
HeLa cell
A line of human epithelial cells that grows well in culture. It is an immortal cancer cell that has been maintained in continuous tissue cultures for decades from a patient with carcinoma of the cervix. It is named for the first two letters of the patient's first and last names, Henrietta Lacks. HeLa cells have been used in thousands of experiments on cell growth, differentiation, and cancer, and in virology, pharmacology, and other fields.
See also: cell
Medical Dictionary, © 2009 Farlex and Partners
HeLa cell
a cell type used in tissue culture that is grown as a standard in research laboratories all over the world. The culture is derived from a cervical carcinoma obtained from Henrietta Lacks in 1951.Collins Dictionary of Biology, 3rd ed. © W. G. Hale, V. A. Saunders, J. P. Margham 2005