Bixby

Thanks for sharing what you know SMF. I'm still interested to know if anyone has ever actually grown a large quantity of Hela cells in one location. I was hoping for a yes, no or don't know answer. I am simply exploring the subject. I am hoping to get accurate answers and then seeking clarification when information seems (to me at least) to be potentially inaccurate or contradictory in order to increase my understanding. I have ideas but (and forgive the corny analogy) these ideas are like stem cells and need the nourishment of accurate information before I know what they will evolve into. Yes. If you can refer me to a knowledge area on this subject - that would be prepared to answer the kinds of questions I have - I would very much appreciate that.

Looking into the "sheet" formation of HeLa cells I thought surely there's a way of creating a 3D environment. And after some searches I came across this: http://www.invitrogen.com/site/us/en/home/Products-and-Services/Applications/Cell-Culture/3D-Cell-Culture/3D_Cell_Culture-Misc/AlgiMatrix.html So this suggests that Hela cells can perhaps be cultivated in non-sheet colonies?

Thank you for your answers to my questions on growing a large quanity of HeLa cells and thanks for sharing your thoughts on the usefulness of such an endeavor. I was thinking of the cells being grown undisturbed for a long period of time IN something the size of a swmming pool (as opposed to being grown in smaller areas and then 'scraped' into the pool). But either way you seem to be saying that the cells would create a sheet over the top of this large amount of growing medium and then STOP growing (i.e. they would simply remain as a sheet of cells no matter how 'deep' the growing medium was and no matter how long they were left there). My choice of a "swimming pool" has no significance to my question it was just a convenient visualization for something much much 'bigger' than what these cells are usually grown in. I notice that CharonY used the term "lump" to describe the cells whereas you visualize a 'sheet' I became familiar with the background story of Henrietta Lacks some time ago and I agree it is an extremely interesting one. Thanks again for taking the time to respond.

New here so not sure what to make of the low number of responses to my questions.

And to the naked eye it would look like ......? if large quantities of hela cells have never been grown then I assume no one will actually know what it would look like to the naked eye. I tried to find pictures of hela cells but but could only turn up what they look like at a microscopic level but no pictures of what a huge 'lump of cells' would look like. Would the resulting 'lump of cells' form a tumor? Therotically, assuming constant nourishment how long would it take for the lump of cells to reach the size of a car? a house? Mount Everest?

If the bacteria and fungi could be prevented, if Hela cells could be grown in lab-type conditions for a very long period of time and on a large scale like this. What would the cells grow into? what form would the tissue take? What would it look like to the naked eye?

If you grew Hela cells for 100's of years in say a swimming pool full of growing medium. what would it grow into? What would it look like?