Animal Testing and Researching
Animal testing is supported by some, but opposed to others. The growing number of animals used in research differs among the different countries. The fruit fly and nematode are the most used animal in testing. However, the most common mammals used in animal research are mice and rats. Shaved albino rabbits and guinea pigs suffer severe testing for skin irritancy and eye irritancy. Though the usage of non-human primates are outlawed in some countries, the U.S. still finds the need to use them. The U.S. government uses tax dollars for testing pesticides and flourine products on animals.
Animal testing has been a subject of controversy throughout the years. Though it may seem like a ?cruel and unusual
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These small rodents are easy to handle and raise, thus used in large proportions. Mice and rats can be tested for various results. Since mice share ninety-nine percent of their genes with humans, believe it or not, they are considered the ?prime model of inherited human disease?. In addition to genetics, rats and mice are used to understand how different organisms interact with each other in the same environment. (Wikipedia) They are used for the study of human cancers and testing of new treatments because of its immunodeficiency status, allowing human tumors to be grafted on without rejection. (UCCA) Some rats are even used for studies of brain function, commonly memory and social behavior. The safety of drugs, vaccines, chemicals, and products are also tested on mice. (Wikipedia)
Though rats may seem like the most popular lab animal, the most animals used in testing are actually invertebrates, especially the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, and the nematode, Caeharbabditis elegans. These, like rats, are very cost efficient and can be studied in a large number. Their short life cycle also makes it convenient for genetic studies. Many invertebrate species are not protected under animal research legislation, so the number of invertebrates used in research is unknown. (Wikipedia)
Shaved albino rabbits and guinea pigs are generally used for skin irritancy testing. Though test tests
So researchers can study the effects of treatments or genetic manipulation over a whole lifespan, or across several generations, which would be infeasible using human subjects. Mice and rats are particularly well suited to long-term cancer research partly because of their short lifespans. They are also one of the best breeding animals in the world because there reproduction time takes only two to three weeks. There litters consist of 8 to twelve mice and once they are two weeks old they are ready to be breeded with each other. That makes them an easy target for scientist and researchers. Who would want to stick needles and dissect a cute and harmless animal.
Somewhere, in the United States, an animal is in terror. It cowers fearfully as scientists hold it down, and a doctor grips a massive, sharp needle next to its neck, ready to inject the animal with a lethal dose of a new, experimental drug. The animal is one of 26 million other creatures facing the same, painful, fate annually (The Hasting Center). Animal testing is the downfall of humanity, a practice of humans testing chemicals, drugs, and cosmetics on animals. Animal testing is an atrocity that is an unnecessary and dangerous ordeal to the subjects being tested on. The fact that it is cruel, is highly inaccurate, and that there are many other ways to achieve the results being pursued all
In the first place, over one hundred million animals are used and killed each year in animal testing. These animals include mice, rats,
Beagles, for example, are the most commonly used pets for scientific experiments because of their trustworthy, and friendly personalities. They study how beagles react under certain amounts of stress, and learned that laboratory dogs are much better at handling it since they were raised in a particular environment. Fortunately, the percentage of animal use in experiments has decreased by 6% since 2014 (Faunalytics.org). Animals, such as the beagles, have painful and stressful procedures for research, that can also have long lasting effects from these studies.
“Each year, more than 100 million animals—including mice, rats, frogs, dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, monkeys, fish, and birds—are killed in U.S. laboratories for biology lessons, medical training, curiosity-driven experimentation, and chemical, drug, food, and cosmetics testing” says Peta.org. Animal testing can injure or sometimes even kill animals, some animals don’t even have any protection to help them through the process of testing, and if you think about it animals have many differences from humans, so whatever your testing on animals could work for them but not work for people and vice versa. Animals shouldn’t be used for any type of testing, whether it be medical or cosmetic.
Many different types of species are used for testing and experimentation, but the most common types are mice, rats, rabbits, and chimpanzees. Rodents such as rats and mice are commonly used for testing products for many reasons, one being their frequent reproduction. Mice and rats are mammals with nervous systems similar to our own therefore, they are tested and given cancer, tumors, paralysis, and high levels of anxiety and depression in their immune systems. Rabbits are often used in animal testing and experiments because of their mild-temperament and they are easy to handle. They are used in cruel chemical test to study cardiovascular disease, skin conditions, and spinal
Animals commonly used in medical research are rats and chimpanzees. Over time these species have proven to be plentiful and they have exhibited the ability to sustain the various testing
Rats, Mice, Cats, Dogs, Frogs, and Chimpanzees—this is just a small, generic list of animals that have been used for medical research. Deciding which animals should be used for testing is a hard decision to make. Some people believe that testing on larger, domesticated animals shouldn’t be done, but they will readily throw rats and mice right on the lab table to be tortured for science. When people think of rats and mice, they usually picture small, mindless, disgusting creatures rummaging through garbage on the streets. In reality, these small animals are actually house-hold pets that can be taught tricks just like dogs—with a little practice. Most people are not aware that test small mammals are intelligent because of the stereotype they
The Dermal Toxicity Test is a test where animals are out into devices and are unable to move. Then caustic substances are applied to their shaved skin to determine the levels of irritation.
They account for about 80 to 90 percent of the laboratory animal total that are used during experiments. According to research, rats are mammals that have the same nervous system as humans. Like humans they also find joy through tickling and they can communicate too through high frequency sounds. Due to the fact that they are not part in Animal Welfare Act (protection to these other species) their deaths are not even counted nor receive pain killers during those tests. They are also easy to propagate and are considered inexpensive. Some procedures are not limited to skull implants, toxicology, psychological tests, and burning. Some of these tests are used in cosmetic quality assurance to know if it’s safe for humans. There are also genetically impaired rats that are used as models to find cure for human diseases in order to understand basic biology. All these tests give intensive trauma to rats. (Melina,
Other animals that are typically used in experiments are rats and mice. Doctors find these species very accommodating when they study different genetic experiments. The mice reproduce very quickly; thus the doctors can view the experiment of genes over several
Controversy of Animal Testing Nowadays, one of the most common controversial topics around the world is using animals for different purposes, such as medical purposes. There are several advantages and disadvantages to the practice of animal testing. Unfortunately, neither seem to fully agreement between the general public, government, and scientists about this issue. It is important to use animals for a few reasons like medical purposes except under some circumstances, such as if there is no need to use animals because there are other alternatives like plants. On one hand, some scientists believe that using animals is necessary to improve the medical research for several reasons.
A question could be made as to why scientists test on animals in the first place. Although chimpanzees have DNA more related to humans, scientists mainly use mice to experiment on. Rodents are small, easily housed and maintained, and adapt well to new surroundings. Mice reproduce very quickly and have a lifespan of two to three years, so a rodent could have several generations of mice in a short period of time (Melina).
Animal Testing is when people use animals in experiments, to test their reaction to what is being tested. The range of animals used in testing is from tens of millions to more than a hundred million used annually. There has been much debate about this topic, because, animals are the most reliable sources to use, especially mice, because we share 95% of our genes with them, which makes them the most common animals to use. Although, many people think animal testing is crude and inaccurate science, but the other hand is, would we rather use humans?
Animal testing is essential for developing lifesaving treatments. Due to experiments on animals we have treatments for diabetics, tuberculosis, breast cancer, malaria and brain injuries. Immunizations against mumps, polio, and hepatitis has saved a countless number of lives thanks to the discovery of new drugs. Roughly ninety-five percent of all lab animals are special-bred mice and rats. The balance of animals that are tested on is rabbits, guinea pigs, sheep, pigs, and fruit flies. Rodents are considered the number one choice for modern medical researchers because they have a short life span. They choose animals that have a life span of two to three years because that allows the scientists to observe what happens during the “fast forward” stage. Six out of the eight major discoveries were recognized with Nobel Prizes, some of which involve the bone-marrow transplant, cloning of genes, and the detection of proto-oncogenes in normal DNA. The essential need for animal research and observation is supported by health agencies and medical associations around the world.