Ignorance Vs. Intelligence : Animal Experimentation And Life Saving Medical Technology

President and science spokeswoman of the Foundation for Biomedical Research (FBR), Frankie Trull, resolutely stated in an interview that, “An immediate end to animal research in the U.S. would be a death sentence for millions of people around the world.” Trull supported her admission by adding, “If you’ve ever taken antibiotics, had a vaccine, had chemotherapy, an MRI, a blood transfusion, dialysis, an organ transplant, bypass surgery, or joint replacement, you have been the beneficiary of research that started with lab animals.” (The Price). To disregard these major accomplishments would be foolishly ignorant, seeing as Trull established, millions of people would not be alive without these advancements. Hundreds of millions more lives have been touched in some way by these medical breakthroughs, whether directly or secondarily. Yet the miracles discovered in the past do not define what we do in the future. The fact that animals have been considerably prominent contributors to research does not mean that this is the only route that can be taken. As previously stated, there are several alternative methods of medical research in the process of being further developed that have already proven to be suitable replacements for animal testing and experimentation. These methods’ results have even shown to be more accurate and possibly more effective than those of animal testing. The continuation of animal testing and experimentation cannot be justified by past successes. Every problem can be solved with more than one

Every year, a total of one million children die from pneumonia. If you multiply that number by one hundred, you will have the number of animals that suffer painful deaths due to medical experimentation in U.S. laboratories each year. This number includes animals of all types, from mice and rats to fish and birds. These animals are typically used because of tradition rather than actual scientific reasoning, making their deaths all the more cruel. Animal experimentation is not only unethical, but ineffective and expensive. It should be phased out and replaced with technological alternatives.

Interestingly animal research has created advancement in the understanding and treatment of conditions such as breast cancer, brain injury, childhood leukemia, cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis and many more. Additionally, other people feel that animals themselves benefit from the results of animal testing. Millions of animals have received vaccines for rabies, distemper, canine parvo virus and other diseases as a result of animal testing and research. The issue with this reasoning is that there is not any regard for the animals’ life when there is alternative means of testing. The value that we place on the lives of animals should be the same as what we place on human

Animals that are put forward to medical experimentation contribute to cures and treatments that have saved many lives. The California Biomedical Research Association states that “nearly every medical breakthrough in the last 100 years has resulted directly from research using animals.” (California Biomedical Research Association). Animals that are used for these tests have contributed incredible discoveries on unimaginable areas starting on Cancer, HIV/AIDS, Heart Disease/Stroke, Diabetes, Birth Defects, and Spinal Cord Injuries. Animal testing has made medical discoveries to go from antibiotics to blood transfusions, from

We often see animal testing as an inhumane act of cruelty, however, we do not recognize the benefits and reasoning behind it all. After carefully studying the reasoning behind animals in medical research, I was appalled by the numerous beneficial outcomes. Research professionals tells us “Medical testing on animals has provided humans with an understanding of how body reacts to certain medications, diseases, or vaccines (animalresearch.info).” Without conducting such research, humans would have no further advancements in medicine, nor any knowledge of their effects. Have you ever noticed the prominence of commercials advertising a new medication? Whether it was a new birth control, blood thinner, or vaccine, more than likely, an animal was used to test the medicine. Animal Smart researchers explains how “Vaccines such as smallpox, measles, mumps, diphtheria and tetanus would have taken much longer to develop without the use of animal research (animal smart). Such diseases would have taken the lives of many young children and adults if there were no

Today there are over one hundred million animals that are burned, poisoned, crippled, and or abused in our countries labs each year all for the name of science. Animal experimentation or testing has been around for a very long time dating back to the Greeks in the fourth and third centuries. But, it became important for the U.S.A. in the twentieth century, when a company created a drug called sulfanilamide that was tested on animals, according to medicaldaily.com, and that helped cure streptococcal which is a type of bacteria. The 1950s the labs started using primate as their animals and saw the testing as an aide to helping create vaccines. Now today we use the, “Three R Strategy” which stands for reduction, refinement, and replacement.

frogs, dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, monkeys, monkeys, fish, and birds, are killed in U.S. laboratories for biology lessons, medical training, curiosity- driven experimentation, and chemical drug, food, and cosmetic testing” (Peta 1). Animals have been used repeatedly throughout the history of biomedical research. Early Greek physician-scientists such as Aristotle and Erasistratus, performed experiments on living animals. Every day, animals all over the world are killed in laboratories for testing. Although there is a rising number of activists fighting against animal testing and abuse, there are still an excessive amount of animals being

Since the discovery of disease, medical professionals have been looking and testing for cures. When looking for a cure or treatment for a disease you go through a series of steps. These steps are full of possible treatments, looking at your progress through a microscope, and then finally testing your possible treatment on live animals. I believe that this step is crucial to finding treatments because although the possible cure works perfectly in a petri dish may in fact be poisonous to living people. Animal testing for medical research is also impacts the effectiveness of prescription medication and even it finds treatments for animal ailments.

Most arguments in favor of the use of animal testing for scientific use lead to the benefits it has for humans. Animal research has contributed to virtually every major medical advancement - for both human and veterinary health. From antibiotics to blood transfusion, from dialysis to organ transplantation, from vaccinations to chemotherapy, surgery and joint replacement, virtually every current treatment, cure and restraint of disease is based on understanding attained through research with lab animals. For example, dogs and fish were used for the development of insulin, which is now able to help control diabetes. The House of Lords Select Committee, the Parliamentary Animal Procedures Committee and the independent Nuffield Council on Bioethics all agreed that testing on animals is a scientifically sound method, has developed great results and is important for future advances (Pro-Test). Animal testing is viewed as the best option for medical progress, since it has had much success in the past. Robert Koch, a Nobel prize winner, conducted experiments on animals and stated, “Think you’re in the running for a future Nobel prize in medicine? You may want to consider using animals in your studies… More than two-thirds of all nobel prizes in medicine have been awarded for discoveries that involved animal research” (Hayhurst 21).

Animal testing dates back all the way to Greek physician scientists like Aristotle and Erasistratus. Greek scientist conducted experiments to understand the anatomy, physiology, pathology, and pharmacology just like our scientists do today. The moral ethics of animal testing has always been questioned, but many cures and treatments have been found due to animal testing discoveries. Animal testing is necessary for humankind 's overall well being, as well as today 's society 's advancement to further the knowledge of the medical field.

Testing and analyzing has played an important part of science and history; scientific researchers are able to study and research new diseases that arise in animals or humans—by getting precise research on medications or new experiments using live animals. “An estimated 100 million animals are exploited in biomedical, aeronautic, automotive, military, agriculture, and cognitive research”( “Animal Testing and the Law” ); many of these animals are exposed to excessive pain and cruelty—forcefully injecting harmful toxins, surgically removing organs, or exposing to radiation. In 2010 roughly 25 million rats and mice were used in educational testing purposes which is 96 percent of the population of animals in research( “Animals Used in Research in

Those who support AE, argue that it plays a significant role in the progress of Medicine. An article written by Americans for Medical Progress a nonprofit organization for the humane use of animals in medicine, states “Animal-based research has led to important advances in the prevention and treatment of many diseases, including cancer, HIV/AIDS, heart disease, and diabetes. Millions of lives have been saved due to these advances” (“Medical Progress Depends on Animal Research”). Experimenting on animals has made a progress in

“For as long as medical science has existed, animal experimentation has played a major role in research.” (Parks 9) When animals are in trials they are forced to eat and inhale substances, are exposed to harsh chemicals, and their organs are removed to observe internal effects (Yashiki 1). Millions of mice, rabbits, primates, cats, dogs, and other animals are being used for experimentations across the United States (Animal 1). Primates will be tested on if there is a scientific question that can not be answered by using other animals (Parks 25). Animals can spend their entire lives being studies because they have such short life spans (Parks 10). Up to 92 percent of the drugs that are tested on those animals and were considered safe will be proved unsafe in human trials (Yashiki 12). The FDA requires that any new drug be tested on animals first to determine the impact it will have on the human body (Parks 11). Although scientists are primarily the one's who test on animals, they also have been trying to make new ways of testing products (Yashiki 4). Researchers have discovered ways of creating cell and tissue models that replicate those of humans. These models can be used in place of mice, rats, rabbits, etc. (Alternatives 4). Testing on animals, especially in the medical research department, can be beneficial. It has helped provided safe drugs and panaceas to people

Animal testing has contributed to many life-saving cures and treatments. Using animals for research has also provided major advancements in understanding and treating conditions. The California Biomedical Research Association states that virtually every medical breakthrough in the last 100 years has resulted directly from experimenting and researching on animals (1). Some see animal testing as cruel and inhumane. However, others see animals as a chance to make improvements in today’s society. Animal testing allows humans to make advancements, not only in the medical field, but also in everyday life.

Thanks to animal research, many diseases that once killed millions of people are now either treatable or curable. Animal testing has not only benefit humans, but animals as well. Some animal testing has lead to life saving and life extending treatments for many of the animals used for testing. A complete alternative to animal testing has yet to be discovered.