3D-Printing Human Skin: The End Of Animal Testing?

Millions of animals every year are being used in labs to test cosmetics. This problem has become a worldwide issue and the U.S. needs to make a change by prohibiting the use of animals in testing cosmetics for safe use.

Animal testing should not be used to make cosmetic products because animals are so different than humans that it often yields unreliable results.The website Peta2 states, “Less than 2 percent of human illnesses are ever seen in animals. Over 98 percent never affect the animal” (John Carpenter, ). This demonstrates that testing the products on animals is a useless and unreliable way to test the products. Companies test on animals to see the effects that it may be caused by that product, but they cannot truly see the effects that it will have on humans because, like the quote states, over 98 percent of the illnesses never affect that animals. Therefore the scientist that test on these animals will not even see the effects that it could have

Moreover, animal testing is a cruel and inhumane way to torture and kill animals for mankind’s own benefit. For instance, every day animals are discarded like yesterday’s trash. The Humane Society International gave an approximate outlook on animals that are murdered by stating, “An estimated 100,000-200,000 animals are killed in cosmetic laboratories each year” (“About Cosmetics Animal Testing” 1). Although, some will argue that it is worth the kill to make shampoo, makeup, etc., harmless to humans; however, animals shouldn't be used for something as non-essential as cosmetics. Animals are not meant to wear makeup, yet products will be applied to

Utilizing animals as a part of research and to test the safety of items has been a subject of intense arguments for a considerable length of time. Individuals have distinctive affections for animals; numerous look upon animals as partners while others see animals as a methods for propelling medical research or encouraging exploratory research. However people see animals, the reality remains that animals are being misused by research offices and cosmetic organizations across the nation and all around the globe. In spite of the fact that people frequently benefit from effective animal research, the agony, the suffering, and the death of animals are not worth the hypothetical benefits for humans. Thus, animals should not be tested on for product safety or research.

Animal activists and scientists experience ongoing conflict between animal experimentation and biomedical ethics. Animal testing is one of the oldest methods of experimentation. In the 1980s, the animal rights movement and the argument surrounding the ethics came under fire. As a result of this movement, the experimental procedures became public, giving more incentive to the activists and momentum to their cause. The ethics of animal experimentation come into question in everything from beauty products to the food and vitamins that are sent to consumers worldwide. However, because of the industries ' involvement within animal experimentation, many consumers do not know how these products they are purchasing are tested. Although the ethics of experimentation have come into question, new ideas of experimentation have progressed. Within the biomedical field, new testing methods for both medicine and beauty products have evolved. Because of this new technology, activists against animal experimentation argue that the necessity of animal experimentation is unneeded. In contrast, scientists argue it is not outdated. Despite the progress made by the activists many scientists still believe that animal experimentation will be needed. Although animal testing may have served as a useful tool in the past, it no longer is as accurate as the new technology and research methods from the 21st century.

Animals are used in tests for all kinds of products. In the articles “Statement by NIH Director DR. Francis Collins on the Institute of Medicine Report Addressing the Scientific Need for the Use of Chimpanzees in Research” by Dr. Francis Collins as well as “Breakthroughs Might Mean the End of Animal Testing” by John Ericson, the use of animals for scientific testing is seen as both good and bad. Animal testing has had more ups than downs, they have been able to help cure diseases or illnesses and also provide the most similar anatomy to test.

The issue of animal testing is a widespread and very controversial topic. It entails carrying out torturous and harmful tests and experiments on animals (most commonly mice or rats, but also other animals like rabbits and guinea pigs) for scientific research, whether it be for medical causes, products or cosmetics. In many cases, animal testing is unavoidable – it is impossible to rid the world of something humans rely on so dearly; however, it is imperative that we recognize the moral impacts of our actions and stop relying on it as a major research tactic. It is quite odd that it continues to be commonly used, despite being largely ineffective, the abundance of alternatives available, and the moral issues it brings into light.

Throughout history, beginning as early as 500 BC, animals have been used to test out products that will later be utilized by humans (“Animal Testing” 4), what isn’t publicly discussed about is the way it will leave the animals after the process is done. Many innocent rabbits, monkeys, mice, and even popular pets such as dogs are harmed during the testing application of cosmetics, medicine, perfumes, and many other consumer products (Donaldson 2). Nevertheless, there are many people whom support the scandal because "it is a legal requirement to carry out animal testing to ensure they are safe and effective” for human benefit (Drayson). The overall question here is should it even be an authorized form of experimentation in the United States, or anywhere else? The fact of the matter is that there are alternatives to remove animals out of the equation for good (“Alternatives to Animal Testing” 1). They are cheaper, and less invasive than the maltreatment of the 26 million innocent animals that are subjected to the heartlessness of testing each year (“Animal Testing” 4). With all things considered, animal testing should be looked upon as animal cruelty due to the harsh effects from the many products tested on the innocent.

Since Ancient Greece, humans have used animals as means of learning more about the world. The first known vivisection was done by a Greek philosopher, Alcmaeon, in 450 B. C. E (“Animal Testing” NP). Since then, animals have had invasives tests performed on them, been killed, and been experimented on in the name of science or for profit. Some experiments are in order to demonstrate already known facts to students, others are to further medical knowledge, and some are to test drugs and cosmetics (“Animal Testing” NP). Scientific testing on animals has led to many medical discoveries. Animals are used, and have been used for millennia, in order to make products, procedures, and life in general safer for humans - stemming from the belief that human lives are more important than animals’. In order to moralize animal experimentation, people tend to draw attention to the benefits of animal experimentation and draw attention away from the cruelties and injustice committed towards animals. To lessen the suffering and lack of fairness of animals, people should find and use alternatives to animal experimentation.

Animal testing should not be used in cosmetic industries as a source of experimentation because it is unethical and inefficient. It is a cruel way of trying to find results that are not even always trustworthy. Everyone has a different reaction to different chemicals so why even bother animals for testing? Also different species can respond differently when exposed to the same chemical so animal testing can be inefficient. The results from animal tests can be quite variable and difficult to interpret therefore it may not be applicable to human beings. Thus, consumer safety still cannot be guaranteed even after these gruesome tests which are totally unethical. It is also unethical to torture and end the lives of these animals each year for our own luxury. Everyday cosmetic industries are using defenseless animals very cruelly just to carry out some most often useless tests. Instead they should use other alternatives which has been proved to yield better and accurate results than tests involving animals.

Every year, millions of animals are subjected to experimentation at the hands of scientists, as well as, cosmetic chemists. Animals are often used in research to “advance the understanding of anatomy, physiology, pathology, and pharmacology” (Hajar 1). The use of animals in scientific research, or animal testing, is an extremely controversial practice; it has been largely debated since the seventeenth century. There is a large divide around the world concerning animal testing; while some find the practice harmless, others believe “animals are being exploited by research facilities and cosmetic companies all around the world” (Dunnuck 1). Even though it has proven to benefit humans in numerous ways, animal testing is slowly becoming more regulated and may eventually perish altogether.

Millions of animals are being unneedlessly tested on for cosmetics, even though there are plenty of alternatives available and most of the results are unreliable or not applicable to humans. Although the fight against animal testing has made huge progress recently, America has yet to stop this cruel practice and chooses to torture animals while other countries are making a stop to the testing (“Animal Testing 101”).

Animal testing has long played a part in the science of testing, and it still plays a very important role in the medical world. Testing on animals in order to create a cure for AIDS is one thing, but testing on animals for human vanity is another. Animal testing is used to test the safety of a product. It has kept some very unsafe substances out of the cosmetic world. However, in this day in age, animal testing is not the only way to test the safety of a product. Animal testing in cosmetics has decreased over the years. However, it is still used by many companies in America. Animal testing is not only cruel, but it is also unnecessary in today’s advanced scientific world.

Using animals in research and to test the safety of products has been a topic of heated debate for decades. According to data collected by F. Barbara Orlans for her book, In the Name of Science: Issues in Responsible Animal Experimentation, sixty percent of all animals used in testing are used in biomedical research and product-safety testing (62). People have different feelings for animals; many look upon animals as companions while others view animals as a means for advancing medical techniques or furthering experimental research. However individuals perceive animals, the fact remains that animals are being exploited by research facilities and cosmetics

Animal testing, although a controversial topic, affects a great deal of scientists and the work force in the agriculture field. This topic has proven difficult to communicate to one another about because there are individuals that believe animals should have certain rights and others believe that animals have no rights. Our group wanted to research this topic because we want to gain knowledge and become more understanding toward the people on both sides of the spectrum. Digging more into the research we found that cosmetics, medical use, and food are the most widely used methods for experimentation. With these research fields, people are finding ways to appeal to the ethics of the modern-day consumer.