Should Animals Be Used for Research
Professor Sophie Sills
English 240
December 16, 2011
Should Animals be used for Research
During the past ten years, a major controversy over the use of animals in biomedical and behavioral research has arisen. The debate about using animals for medical testing has been ongoing for years. The struggle is usually between animal rights activists and scientist. I believe that animal testing is imperative to the progression of medical cures, procedures and drugs. Scientists have been solving medical problems, developing new techniques and treatments, and curing diseases by using animals in biomedical research. Animal rights advocates believe that animals should not be exploited by humans, and that animals have the same rights as humans. Anti-vivisectionists oppose the use of animals in medical research. They believe that medical researchers are cruel and inhumane. Animal Welfare does not oppose all use of animals in research. They oppose inhumane and unnecessary use of animals and fight to eliminate pain and suffering of animals. On the Contrary, scientists argue that animal research is necessary because it helps them develop medications, vaccines, or new procedures to treat or prevent diseases for both humans and animals. Most research projects either do not involve pain or the pain is alleviated with analgesic or anesthetic drugs. They understand that pain causes stress for the animals, and this stress can seriously affect the results of the study.
With all these controversies about this issue, why are animals necessary in research? Because animals make good research subjects. Animals are biologically similar to humans. In fact, chimpanzees share more than 99% of DNA with humans and mice share more than 98% DNA with humans, therefore, animals are susceptible to many of the same health problems as humans. Animals have a shorter life cycle than humans and as a result, they can be studied throughout their whole life span or across several generations. In
English 240
December 16, 2011
Should Animals be used for Research
During the past ten years, a major controversy over the use of animals in biomedical and behavioral research has arisen. The debate about using animals for medical testing has been ongoing for years. The struggle is usually between animal rights activists and scientist. I believe that animal testing is imperative to the progression of medical cures, procedures and drugs. Scientists have been solving medical problems, developing new techniques and treatments, and curing diseases by using animals in biomedical research. Animal rights advocates believe that animals should not be exploited by humans, and that animals have the same rights as humans. Anti-vivisectionists oppose the use of animals in medical research. They believe that medical researchers are cruel and inhumane. Animal Welfare does not oppose all use of animals in research. They oppose inhumane and unnecessary use of animals and fight to eliminate pain and suffering of animals. On the Contrary, scientists argue that animal research is necessary because it helps them develop medications, vaccines, or new procedures to treat or prevent diseases for both humans and animals. Most research projects either do not involve pain or the pain is alleviated with analgesic or anesthetic drugs. They understand that pain causes stress for the animals, and this stress can seriously affect the results of the study.
With all these controversies about this issue, why are animals necessary in research? Because animals make good research subjects. Animals are biologically similar to humans. In fact, chimpanzees share more than 99% of DNA with humans and mice share more than 98% DNA with humans, therefore, animals are susceptible to many of the same health problems as humans. Animals have a shorter life cycle than humans and as a result, they can be studied throughout their whole life span or across several generations. In
Cited: “Use of Animals in Biomedical Research,” American Medical Association white Paper, 1998. Fox, Michael Allen. The case For Animal Experimentation. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1986. http://www.animalresearch.info/en/medical/articles/use_of_animals_in_biomedical_resea rch#ref3 12. Medawar, P. (1996). The Strange Case of The Spotted Mice, 236pp. Oxford, UK; & New York, USA: Oxford University Press. 11 Dixon, B. (1978). Beyond the Magic Bullet, 249pp. Boston, USA & Sydney, Australia: George Allen and Unwin http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-experimentation/animal-testing-bad-science.aspx