Xenotransplantation has the potential to save the multitude of people who are waiting for human organ donors. The definition of xenotransplantation is the transfer of organs, tissues, and/or living cells from another species, typically an animal, to another, such as a human being. The prefix ‘xeno’ means other or different while transplantation refers to the transfer of an organ or tissue. The controversial idea of using animal organs for humans has been studied for many decades but the major advances seem to have been made just in the last decade. The actual, successful operations have not been performed until recently since now people are opting to try out a pig heart rather than die waiting on a list for a human organ donor. With eighty-one …show more content…
There is an abundance of animals, specifically pigs, that can be used for organ transplantation. The pigs can be bred and maintained for the purpose of “harvesting their organs” in a clean environment (Bryan and Clare 3). A pig’s diet and living environment can be controlled and kept constant to reduce the possibility of disease entering the body. Breeding pigs for the purpose of xenotransplantation would reduce the time a patient must wait to receive an organ. Rather than waiting for human to be screened and tested before they are admitted to the hospital, the patient can quickly have a clean, documented pig ready for the transplant. Pigs can also serve a dual purpose rather than just bacon and pork chops. The pigs that have already been used for their organs can later be taken to a slaughterhouse thus using as much of the animal as possible while leaving little to be disposed of. By reducing the waiting time for an organ, xenotransplantation saves many human being’s lives. With eighty-one thousand people people waiting for organs (Hansen) and even more in Australia and around the world, time is precious for these patients waiting on what could be their deathbeds (Cowan). Xenotransplantation would drastically lower the amount people in line for organs and save many human lives. Also, the six thousand people that die every year on the waiting list could possibly have a second chance at life with the help of xenotransplantation