Animal Experimentation
.docx
School
Northern Virginia Community College**We aren't endorsed by this school
Course
ESL 51
Subject
Biology
Date
Dec 23, 2024
Pages
9
Uploaded by ChefTank4188
Animal Experimentation: Experimentation for the human welfare!Experimenting on animal is amusing! It was really amusing for me when I was a ninegrade student, and I found the similarities between a heart of a frog and a heart of a human. Istarted to catch frogs to find out more information about frog’s veins, arteries, stomach, andmany more. From my child hood, my ambition was to be a doctor. After a successfulexperimentation on frogs, I got a confidence on my dreamed career, being a doctor! From thebeginning of the universe people had a propensity to invent something. Sometime they had tosacrifice their life. People tried to be cure when they were sick by using herbs. Sometimes theybecame cure and sometimes not. As the years passing, people tried to research more about thediseases which were impossible to cure, and a lot of people were dying because of the unknowndiseases. Researchers started to experiment on animal, and they invented a lot of successful wayto cure the surviving people. Researchers came up with drugs, and medical procedures to gain asuperior understanding of how a human body works. Someone may say there could have a lot ofalternative ways to improve medical science instead of testing on animal. On the other hand,animal should have the same right as we have. But the scientists had to do their experiment onanimal to save the best creature of the world, the human being. There is no way to disregardtoday’s scientists’ contributions on human’s medication based on animal testing. Therefore, Ithink that students and scientists should be allowed to test products on animals.First of all, a student can not learn properly without experimenting on an animal. Animalsare using in science classrooms of secondary schools, colleges, and universities since the 1920s.The science students are using frogs, fetal pigs, earth worms, and other creatures. The studentsdissect live or dead animal preserved in chemicals to learn better about anatomy or physiology.Before working on human, live animals are using to practice surgical techniques and other
procedures (Parks 14). To get peer knowledge about human body, dissecting animals is the bestoption for the students. Susan Offiner, “Dissection Fact Sheet.” www.carolina.com states, “Nomodel, no video, no diagram and no movie can duplicate the fascination, the sense of discovery,wonder and even awe that students feel when they find real structures in their own specimens”(qtd. in Parks). According to the Humane Society of the United States, every year 6 millionvertebrates animals-have a backbone or spinal column, and about the same number ofinvertebrates are dissecting in American high schools. Colleges, middle schools, and elementaryschools are using unknown quantities of animals (38). The reason educational institutes are usinga huge number of animals to learn about the anatomy and physiology of human. Students can geta better idea of the complexity various organisms by understanding of the animals’ internalstructures, tissues, and organs (39). Peggy J. Parks, the author of Animal Experimentationaffirms that schools teaching dissection to get the idea about animals’ biological system: At secondary schools in Alpine, New Jersey, seventh graders dissect earthworms,Crayfish, fish, frogs, and chickens to learn about the creatures’ anatomy and physiology. Fifth graders in Teaneck, New Jersey, dissect pig hearts aspart of studying circulatory systems. In some advanced biology classes studentsdissect pregnant rats to study their reproductive systems. Graduate studentsstudying to become veterinarians also participate in dissection. To learn aboutanatomy, they dissect cadavers of horses, cows, and dogs. They also use liveanimals purchased at auctions or slaughterhouses to practice skills such asanesthesia, neutering and spaying, surgery techniques, and euthanasia. (40)It is realistic to practice on living things to learn better. Patricia Lord, a science adviser forTeaneck’s schools, explains, “It allows students to feel the delicateness of the tissue and to
appreciate the complexity of a living thing. They can inflate the animal’s lungs using a pipette tosee how long it is and how it’s packed in. There’s no much learn that way, they’re alwaysamazed” (qtd. in Parks). To understand about human body, there could have no substitute exceptexperimenting on animals. To show the importance of animal dissecting, Becky Baumgartner, agraduate of Kenston High School in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, explains, “People say that dissectinganimals only makes the dissectors cold, unsympathetic, and unappreciative of life, when actually,just the opposite is true. How can you have great respect for a frog just by looking at a diagramof it? You have to look at the creature up close to really appreciate how it functions . . . .It ismind blowing to see how complex their body systems are – to see how a frog lives, breathes,eat . . . . When it comes to viewing life, you really cannot get any closer than dissection; there isjust no substitute for the real thing” (qtd. in Parks). Therefore, testing on animal is veryimportant for the students to learn about the human’s body functionalities. In addition, as there are a lot of similarities between the animals and the humanphilology, medical researchers invented a lot of achievements for human. Scientists discoverednew treatments for diseases and made sure the safety of new drugs. Experimentation on animalimproved human health and longevity as researchers provided numerous medical innovations,such as vaccines, organ transplants, pacemakers. Researchers got enormous success on strokes,childhood cancer, and AIDS – Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (Research) 1. Foundationfor Biomedical Research (FBR) mentions, “Form the discovery of antibiotics, analgesics,antidepressants, and anesthetics, to the successful of organ transplants, bypass surgery . . . . everypresent-day protocol for the prevention, control, cure of disease . . . . knowledge attained –directly or indirectly – through research with animals.” Before a millions of people had diedbecause of polio, diphtheria, mumps, rubella and hepatitis every year. Those diseases are now
either preventable, treatable, or have been eliminated together because of immunizations and thevaccines are using to prevent the diseases, would not exist without experimenting on animals.American Physiological Society includes:Epilepsy: People that are born with brain malformations sometimes have a kind of epilepsy that is not easily treatable with medicine. Using rats that exhibit the same kind ofsymptoms, scientist at Stanford University Medical Center were able to study the differences in how the brain functions in rats with epilepsy compared to healthy rats. Parkinson’s Disease(PD):Researchers studying the development of PD have used a mouse model to study genetic changes that occur in brain cells (neurons) during the earliest stages of disease, even before the substantial loss of neurons associated with the classic symptoms of PD occurs. These types of studies could lead to early detection and treatment that would ultimately minimize the severity of symptoms associated with PD. (Society 141)As well, polio has been removed from the maximum affected countries. Polio is caused ofparalytic poliomyelitis virus. World Health Organization (WHO) started polio eradicationprogram in 1988, and they were able to remove polio from the 121 countries completely(Research). Moreover, HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) caused of AIDS. Inventing anti-HIV drugs have decreasing AIDS related diseases and deaths. According to FBR findings,“Newly developed vaccines that protect monkeys from simian AIDS are being tested in clinicaltrials, giving rise to the hope that a safe and effective human AIDS vaccine will be found tocontrol the virus infection.” Another dangerous disease, Hepatitis B infections can be preventedby vaccination. Moreover, Malaria, a chronic or fatal disease caused by a parasite thattransmitted to humans by mosquitoes. The drug that is preventing Malaria is invented form
animal researching. Improvement of surgical areas is a blessing for human life. Surgicaladvances saving thousand lives as a result of transplanting kidney, liver, and heart. Open heartsurgery, such as coronary artery bypass, valve replacement and repair of congenital defects arevery common in medical fields. Infants who are born with congenital abnormalities are curing bynew surgical techniques to repair heart defects (Research). Outstanding invention – DNA(DeoxyriboNucleic Acid) is characterizing all human genetic material. As FRB states, “Ashuman genes and their functions are identified, the relatively new technique of gene transferoffers a new strategy for treating diseases of genetic origin. The procedure involves inserting anormal gene to replace an "abnormal gene" in a target cell. Scientists are in the early stages ofapplying this method to treat such diseases as Huntington's chorea, hemophilia, sickle cellanemia, cystic fibrosis and certain types of cancer”(Research). All the marvelous achievementsin medical science have become true after the successful tests on animals. Thus, animalexperimentation should be allowed for continues improvement of medical science.Finally, PETA which stands for People for Ethical Treatment of Animals say that testingon animal is unnecessary and abusive to animals. PETA argues, “Studies on humans, humantissues and computer simulators are more effective and more humane than tests on animals”(Animal Testing). Furthermore, in 1950s by William Russell and Rex Burch came up with thethree R’s (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) method to do the vitro tests (Testing onsubstitute, not on the animal) instead of testing on animal (Woods). They think it is not ethical totest on an animal. Animal should get the same right as human. However, many animal testingsaved many human lives which are more important than a moral issue. Thus, animalexperimentation is ethical. To go against PETA, Animal Testing (Sidebar) indicated, “Thoseprocedures demonstrate to researchers how well the compound is absorbed by the body and how
long its effects last, as well as how safe it is and what side effects it produces. Such tests aregenerally conducted on rats or mice and are considered standard protocol.” So, make sure ofhuman wellness could not be unethical. According to Stuart W.G. Derbyshire is a senior lecturerin psychology at the University of Birmingham in England, “The Three Rs, however, have beendisastrous for science. Animal experiments have advanced (and continue to advance) humanwelfare and it is imperative that scientists be allowed to continue their work unimpeded”(Derbyshire). There is no way to say that saving human being by testing or experimenting onanimal is not ethical. “The real reason for animal experimentation is to advance the welfare andunderstanding humanity,” Derbyshire comments. In addition he includes:Those of us who research on animals or support that research have made a moral choice to put humans first. We should behave and argue with a conviction that is worthy of the choice. Animal experimentation is a positive activity that advances our appreciation of nature and disease, and defending animal research should be part of a moral campaign that celebrates human knowledge and understanding. Simultaneously advocating animal research while trying to apologize and introduce alternatives is a poor defense of animal experimentation. (Derbyshire)We are living in a moral community because of our creative abilities. “Only we, all species onEarth, can be held accountable for our deeds, judged guilty in a court of law. . . . Theseresponsibilities make us special in my view .and warrant special consideration and compassion,”states Adrian R. Morrison, researcher in University of Pennsylvania’s School of VeterinaryMedicine (Morrison 75). Human suffering capacity extends far beyond of any animal. Humanhas the more mental suffering than animal. On the other hand, nothing could be more important
than a human life. Therefore, testing on animal is ethical, and scientist should be allowed to teston animal. To conclude, scientists started to test on animal from long time ago in order to invent newmedicine or experiment a medicine before using on human. Without testing on animal, it isalmost impossible for a student to get an idea about human body or human body’s mechanism.Animals play an important role in development of new drugs and new medical procedures totreat diseases. Medical researchers could not be successful to fight against the diseases. Peopleare surviving in the universe better than before because of developing of health sectors. I don’twant to suffer from any diseases. I want to be cure. Of course, I would ask my doctor, “Did youtest the medicine on an animal before choosing for me?” It is my life, and my life is important tome than anything else.
Notes1. Between 1950 and 2004, U.S. deaths from stroke and heart disease fell by 72 percentand 63 percent, respectively; Between 1974 and 2001, the overall U.S. five-year survival rate for childhood cancers increasedby 29 percent; Between 1995 and 2005, AIDS-related deaths in the U.S. fell by 70 percent.
Works Cited"Animal Testing (sidebar)." Issues & Controversies On File:n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 25 Sept. 1998. Web. 19 Nov. 2011.Derbyshire, Stuart W.G. "Animal Experimentation Is Ethical."At Issue: AnimalExperimentation. Ed. Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Northern Virginia CommunityCollege. 19 Nov. 2011Morrison, Adrian R. “Animal Experimentation Is Ethical.” Animal Experimentation. Ed.David M. Haugen. Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2007. 73-78. PrintParks, Peggy J. Animal Experimentation. San Diego: ReferencePoint, 2008. 37-40. Print.Research, Foundation for Biomedical. "Animal Experimentation Is Vital for Medical Research." At Issue: Animal Experimentation. Ed. Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Northern Virginia Community College. 19 Nov. 2011Society, American Physiological. “Animal Experimentation Is Vital to Medical Resarch.” Animal Experimentation. Ed.David M. Haugen. Detroit: Thomson Gale, 2007. 138-143.PrintWoods, Geraldine. Animal Experimentation and Testing: a pro/con issue. Berkeley Heights: Enslow Publisher Inc, 1999. 28. Print