Definition of HeLa
1. Noun. (Norse mythology) goddess of the dead and queen of the underworld.
Medical Definition of HeLa
1.
| Referring to cells of the first continuously cultured (human cervical) carcinoma strain.
An established line of human epithelial cells derived from a cervical caracinoma (from a black American woman called Henrietta Lacks). In fact the cellular biomass now considerably exceeds that of Henrietta herself !
These cells are used for virus cultivation and antitumour drug screening assays.
Origin: Henrietta Lacks (d. 1951).
(21 Jun 2000)
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Lexicographical Neighbors of HeLa
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