The Issue of Animal Testing: Pros and Cons
Animal testing is the act of using non-uman animals in research, development projects or scientific experiments. Hundreds of millions of animals are being used annually for scientific research, but because some countries do not collect this data, the precise number will always be unknown. Many questions arise when talking about this Issue such as: Are there any cures that have resulted from animal testing, are humans superior to animals, and are there alternatives to this type of testing?
Out of the many medical advancements that have resulted from animal testing, there are ten that strike me as very important to the survival of mankind. The first is Penicillin. Penicillin was tested on mice in the asses. By 1941, Penicillin was being used to treat dying soldiers. This research eventually won the Nobel Prize in 1945. The second Is blood transfusion. Blood transfusions have saved the lives of countless people and animals. The technique was developed when citrated blood was shown to be safe for transfusion in dogs in 1914.
The third achievement was the first medicine for tuberculosis. About 100 years ago, tuberculosis was one of the most common causes of death. Nobel Prize-winning research on Guiana pigs in the asses led to the antibiotic streptomycin. The fourth was the Meningitis vaccine. These vaccines were developed In mice and have resulted in a huge fall In the disease. Previously many victims died or had amputations or organ damage. The fifth achievement Is the kidney transplant. Of the 5,000 people who develop kidney failure every year in the UK, one in three would die without a kidney transplant.
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Transplantation techniques were developed using dogs and pigs. The sixth is breast cancer. Breast cancer is the commonest cancer among women. Animal studies led to the development of attainment, one of the most successful treatments, and more recently Hermetic and aromas Inhibitors. The seventh achievement Is the asthma Inhaler. Asthma Is the commonest serious childhood Illness and soul causes about 2,000 deaths a year In the ASK. Animal research was vital for the medicines in the inhalers seen in many schools today. The eighth is the polio vaccine.
This advance alone has saved millions of lives. Forty years of research using monkeys and mice led to the introduction of the vaccine in the 1 sass. The ninth Is insulin for diabetes. Just another important achievement that saved millions of lives and won the Nobel Prize In 1923. The tenth and final achievement are Implants for Parkinson Disease. Research was carried out on experimental animals such as primates, which led to an electrical implant of Parkinson Disease. (Contribution). There are many alternatives to the use of animals in scientific experiments.
Some of them are in vitro test methods and models based on human cell and tissue cultures, computerized patient-drug databases and virtual drug trails, computer models and simulations, stem cell and genetic testing methods, non-invasive Imaging techniques such as Mrs. and CT Scans, and Mollycoddling (In on the cellular level, without affecting the whole body system). Also the scientists and engineers at Harvard's Ways Institute have created "organs-on-a-chip," including the lung-on-a-chip" and "gut-on-a-chip. " These tiny devices contain human cells in a 3- dimensional system that mimics human organs.
The chips can be used--instead of animals--in disease research, drug testing, and toxicity testing. Some benefits of non- animal testing are that alternative scientific tests are often more reliable than animal tests, the use of human tissue in toxicity testing is more accurate than the animal models, Non-animal tests are more cost-effective, practical, and expedient, and cruelty free products are more environmentally friendly. Alternatives) There are specific pros and cons on animal testing that I found very interesting.
Some pros are that it helps researchers to find drugs and treatments, improves human health, helps insure safety on drugs, and alternate methods of testing do not simulate humans in the same way. Some cons are that animals are killed or kept in captivity, some substances tested , may never be used for anything useful, it is very expensive, and animals and humans are never exactly the same. (Marijuana). There are numerous myths surrounding animal testing, and the unfortunate result is that people may form opinions based on uneducated facts. It is important to address some of the most common myths in hopes that people can make more informed decisions regarding animal testing. Some of these myths are that the use of animals is pointless because animals are different from people, laboratory animals experience horrific distress and suffering, side effects and distress experienced by animals are undetectable, which makes animal testing unreliable, researchers are tot concerned about animals or are indifferent to their care, the existence of alternative methods means that animals are unnecessary for testing, and the majority of animal testing is conducted for cosmetics development. Marijuana) Theses myths had me thinking. I wonder if people do not truly know the facts about animal testing. It seems that most people are listening to these myths rather than listen to an expert. Credible information is key to picking a side for a debated topic. I think I am going to argue that animal testing has both negative and positive effects.
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