To analyze this civic issue, it is important to understand that animals are used in research because they make particularly good models to study human diseases. According to report by the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine, it is currently unethical to use a drug or technique first on a human being because of the potential risk of harm. Animals are used as models to replicate human subjects. Animals are fed experimental diets, tested with new vaccines, and exposed to certain toxins to observe the effects.
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Those against the use of animals in research, focus on the fact that animals feel fear and pain like we do. The infliction pain is not an uncommon practice: force feeding, forced inhalation, food and water deprivation, prolonged periods of physical restraint, and the infliction of wounds to study the healing process are present in research. In 2010, the USDA reported that 91,123 animals suffered pain during experiments and were not given anesthesia for relief, including 1,395 primates, 5,996 rabbits, 33,652 guinea pigs, and 48,015 hamsters.
Those against research involving animals question what happens to the animals once the experiment ends. In cases that an animal does not die during the experiment, most are euthanized after the experiment is over. Rarely, the animal is used for additional experiments. It is extremely uncommon for animals to be adopted out or placed in a sanctuary, aside from Chimpanzees, which have national protection.
From the other perspective, using animals has led to life-saving cures and treatments. HIV treatment, vaccines, antibiotics, and insulin are all results of experiments involving animals. The California Biomedical Research Association states that nearly every medical breakthrough in the last 100 years has resulted directly from research using animals.
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Alternatives to animal testing include using cell lines and computer models. Those against the use of animals in research, argue that these methods can replace the need of animals. Studying human cells in a petri dish or using artificial skin can be used to solve research questions instead. The counter argument is that there is no alternative to testing on a living, whole body system. Living beings are too complex to be simulated on a computer. Furthermore, interrelated processes between varying body systems cannot be studied in a petri dish.
Personally, it is difficult to come to a decision on whether animals should be used in research, which is indicative of the current controversy. As someone with a future in the scientific field, I fully appreciate the value that lab animals play in advancing the field and human care as a whole. In the end, the question is once again boiled down to whether a human life is worth more than an animal life. Although I believe that animal and human lives are equal, I cannot discount the importance of the treatments developed from animal research.
Where do you stand? Is there a role for animal based research in present day? If so, should only certain species of animals be used? Let me know what you think!
I recognize that sometimes animal teting may sasve lives but I really feel that it is inhumane and wrong. Animal testing for cosmetic products is just abosutely terrible and I try to be mindful when purchasing prodcuts so I am sure they do not test on animals. However when they save lives its kind of hard to argue against it... I still feel that we could find a better way!
ReplyDeleteThis is an intricate issue because on one hand these tests lead to advancements which save thousands of lives, but on the other hand they are killing animals. While I think it is terrible to use the animals, the outcomes of the research are invaluable and should mostlikely be in use until an alternaive just as affective is made possible.
ReplyDeleteI feel like animal testing is a necessary evil for humans, and although it makes me sad to think about, we would be much worse off without these tests. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI think this is such a difficult and complex issue. Although I have some conflict with hurting animals, if it will develop a cure to a disease, I don't wholeheartedly support it but I think it's the right thing to do. However, I'm thrilled that scientists are working to develop alternatives to using live animals and I hope that research continues and we develop this alternative within out lifetime.
ReplyDeleteThis is defineitly a tough issue to talk about. I thought we only tested on mice and rats, so I was surprised to learn we used primates too. Ultimately, though, I think having medicines and treatments for humans is paramount. But dogs should definitely never be used.
ReplyDeleteThis was a really good civic issue to address because it's just so hard to decide what to do about it. One the one hand, lab animals save human lives. On the other hand, human lives are killing animal lives. Very bittersweet.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a strong opinion for or against animal testing because it seems like for every negative, there is a somewhat equivalent positive to animal testing. As a huge dog lover, I do think it's interesting that people can accept the testing of mice, rats, and monkeys, but not dogs. In the end, they're all animals and they should likely all not be put through animal testing.
ReplyDeleteWhile I appreciate the benfits of animal testing, I personally do not think we should be using animals in lab testing. People almost always just think of mice in laboratory. But the fact that dogs and primates are tested as well shows that testing has gone too far with animals.
ReplyDeleteAnimal testing is definitely important. However, i see the major ethical issues. I think it comes down to a facet of Darwinism, but yet at the same time, animals shouldn't have to suffer. It's a very touchy and difficult subject.
ReplyDeleteFor humans, I think animal testiing is very iportant but I don't animals should have to bear the pain. Also, some studies go a bit too far in regards to the types of tests conducted.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your final statement about how you feel. As a future psychologist, I think of it the same way as running experiments on humans; there needs to be strict ethics rules, because while both types of experimentation are important and lead to breaking discoveries, all lives are important and should be valued.
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