Animals testing have significantly contributed to the advancement of scientific knowledge in general and to biomedical progress specifically. Many example showing that laboratory animals in medical development and other aspects have significantly influenced human health and reduced suffering, for example improved diagnosis of infectious disease ( Hau, J., & Schapiro, S. J. 2002). But since 1960s and 1970s, animals testing protests has gained prominence and strength, people start to argue it is moral to continue “cruel” animal testing.
Mahatma Gandhi once stated, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” In today’s world, animals are being used to control scientific variables in experiments including drug testing, the creation of cosmetics, and treatments for diseases. Animal testing can be beneficial in the aspect that it has contributed to many life-saving cures and treatments. However, on the other hand, animal testing can be seen as cruel and inhumane because of the way animals are treated.
Animal testing has become a double-edged sword topic all around the world. Researchers believe that it is morally ethical to conduct extreme research procedures on animals when it is unethical to conduct on humans. Research is responsible for many medical breakthroughs and an important factor to the development of medical advances is the inclusion of animals in research. Medical research with the help of animal testing has prevented hepatitis B, measles, etc. (Karayiannis et al. 2004). Although testing on animals is not morally ideal, product safety assurance, disease control, and veterinary studies all depend on animal-testing.
There is much controversy with regards to animal testing for medical research and there has been throughout the centuries. We can trace the issue back all the way to the 4th century when we have the first record of animal experimentation, Aristotle dissecting animals for study. In the 1600s, scientists began using animals as a way to explore the human body which led to many advancements in the medical field. Such advancements include Emil von Bering finding a cure for diphtheria toxin for guinea pigs; further research allowed him to produce a diphtheria vaccine for humans (Bright).In spite of these many medical achievements brought on through the use of animal testing, there are still those that argue the practice is not justifiable and should
Millions upon millions of animals are killed mercilessly every year due to these experiments. “Most animal experiments are not relevant to human health, they do not contribute meaningfully to medical advances and many are undertaken simply out of curiosity and do not even pretend to hold promise for curing illnesses” (Animal). Not only does this testing waste animal lives, but humans as well. Because animal testing is so ineffective, many humans have contracted illness, irritations, mental problems, etc. because of these drugs being successful on animals and not humans. Animal testing is ineffective, and inhumane because it wastes thousands of
After Sun reassures readers that the animals are completely safe and pain-free, she is able to reinforce how animal testing is beneficial through sound research. “The truth behind animal testing,” explains how specific discoveries such as insulin, blood transfusions, penicillin, so on and so forth have been unearthed because of animal testing. Today, many people can relate to these medical advances because they are so commonly used in hospitals and the medical field. Sun’s research even introduces multiple cases where animal testing was successful. One such case included Charles Chamberland who was able to find a vaccine for both cholera and anthrax through animal experimentation with little harm to the chickens he was testing. Contrastingly, Sun compares how alternative solutions would be detrimental for the evolution of research and development of current medical conditions. By finding strong, well supported cases, and appealing to a more logical side, Sun is able to persuade many readers in favor of animal
Throughout history, many diseases have plagued humanity. Luckily, early scientists implemented an experimental method known as animal testing. “Animal testing allows for the creation of vaccines and as a result provides many benefits to humans” (Sun 84). This approach would allow researchers to test possible cures on animals before administering them to humans. This technique protects people from the possible fatal side effects. This process would become highly sought after as it helped in providing several medications that would control, prevent or cure many diseases. One might suggest that animal testing is cruel or unjust, but it is precisely the opposite. Animal testing must continue due to many associated
In the United States alone, an estimate of 100 million animals are used for testing and in European countries over 12 million animals are sacrificed each year for testing. Out of that large number, up to 90 percent are not counted in the official statistics of animals tested. 92 out of every 100 tests that pass in animals fails in humans and that number has increased 86 percent since 1985. It is not a very sufficient way of study because the results are often not accurate and at least 16 million dollars is spent each year. This research method is not effective
moral to do that? You may think it depends. But let me tell you a story. When asking
Over 100 million animals are burned, crippled, poisoned, and abused in US labs every year.Animal testing is a cruel and inhumane way to obtain research and knowledge. Animals can be very different from humans leaving researchers with poor test results. Animal experimentation is no longer necessary for research because of the abundance of solutions and alternatives to solve this issue and keep animals away from harm.
Imagine an enraged animal rights activist charging toward a scientist in a white lab coat, desperate to free the little mice that are being used as test subjects. Although comical, this scene may be quite accurate when describing the passion that animal lovers have when it comes to the touchy subject of animal testing. For centuries, animal testing has been used in the medical research field, however many are now beginning to question whether it is ethical. Millions of animals are killed per year due to animal testing, so is this practice worth banning? Animal testing is a controversial subject, with supporters pointing out the medical advances that have stemmed from animal research and animal rights activists declaring it cruel and immoral. However, both sides agree that it would be beneficial to reduce animal suffering by finding alternatives to this practice.
Animal testing is a phrase that most people have heard but are perhaps still unsure of exactly what it involve. Whether it is called animal testing, experimentation or research, it should be defined as all testing methods on animals including, medical exploration, cosmetics, toxicology trialing, and psychological examination involving animal subjects. It is used to assess the safety and effectiveness of medications and beauty products as well as understanding how the human physiology works. While supporters believe it is necessary practice, those against animal testing believe that it involves torture and suffering to animals. Medical research is the hardest case of proposition in the debate whether animal testing should be banned or not, since it has previously yielded substantial benefits for humanity. Throughout moral, humanistic, and social perspectives animal testing is beneficial for medical evolution.
In contrast, Bekoff mentioned around 25 million of animal models are used in invasive research annually (Bekoff, 2012). Some people are not supporting animal testing due to the suffering of unwanted pains for animal models because they think it is cruel and inhumane acts. More importantly, some are against animal testing because animal testings are providing unreliable results which is endangered human lives. In comparison, the refinement, replacement and also reduction (3R) has been introduced which the amount of animal models use in animal testings were under control. Last but not least, animal testing is very important for medical research which provide a lot of advantages for the human and also animal itself in order to solve infectious diseases that are still transmitted all over the
assure the animals are being taken care of. A survey on the number of animals being used
Animals may assist in the advancement in medicine by acting as test subjects, but this does not mean that we are given the right to neglect their basic needs. In laboratories, animals live stressful and unnatural lives, being locked in crowded cages and deprived of basic resources in order to ‘save resources’. While this may be cost-efficient to prevent using more resources, it also causes harm to animals when basic needs like space, food, and water are not given where needed. Animals are also put through painful procedures, of which most are rather questionable – including permanent infestation of worms in dogs for future studies. One example of this is the commonly used Lethal Dose 50 Percent test – a test that requires animals to be injected with high amounts of toxin to determine what dose will kill 50 percent of test animals. During the manufacturing of Dysport, an anti-wrinkle treatment, test mice injected with the toxin in Dysport experienced muscle paralysis and nausea, leading to severe distress and suffocation over a few days. This may all result in a medical breakthrough or successful medicine that is beneficial to society, but neglect of basic animal welfare for the potential medical breakthrough is unacceptable. Stressed animals can also cause inaccurate results, which then requires more animals to be used since so many trials did not work.