Classrooms and teaching styles are evolving into the 21st century but dissection isn’t changing. Twenty million animals are killed each year in inhumane fashion for the purpose of classroom dissection, even though just as good options are available and don’t cost animal lives (Peta). A lot of these animals aren’t even raised for dissection, they’re captured from the wild or - like dogs and cats - bought from shelters (Dissection: Lessons in Cruelty). What we need to start asking is, “Does dissection breed a cold view towards animals?”.
Many people argue upgrading our dissection programs because they believe you can’t beat the “real life” dissection, where you see, smell, and feel the different body parts (Should schools ban animal dissection?). What needs to be pointed out though, is the fact that the majority of k-12 students are not going to need to know what the insides of a frog look like, let alone their texture and smell. As for sight, even many well renowned veterinary colleges have switched over to multi-media dissection programs that don’t involve real animals (Alternatives In Education) and an additional 98% of U.S. medical colleges have stopped using animals in their courses (and none expect/require you to dissect an animal) (Cutting Out Dissection: Benefits of non-animal methods in biology education).
Ask any of your grandparents if animal dissection was in use in their days of school. Chances are, it was. Since then color was added to the TV, computers have become smaller and smaller, we have mobile phones that fit in our pockets, and medical fields have made huge strides. Yet for the most part, classroom dissection hasn’t changed one bit. The method of animal dissection commonly used today is far past expired (i...
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...esearch.org.au/campaigns/say_no_to_dissection>.
Should schools ban animal dissection? n.d. .
Step 1: Choose Not To Dissect. n.d. .
Step 2: Know Your Rights. n.d. .
Student Choice Laws. n.d. .
SUMMARY OF STUDENT CHOICE LAWS AND POLICIES. November 2011. .
Talk, Earth. Does Classroom Dissection Deplete Species, Encourage Cruelty to Animals? n.d. .
The Environment and Dissection. n.d. .
Throughout all of human history, the pattern has remained the same—human technological and scientific progress has always involved testing on animals. Without that testing, modern medicine would be a shadow of what it is today. Many modern procedures stem directly from testing with animals. In addition, doctors and surgeons receive much of their training with the living tissues of animals. Computer simulations and other methods simply cannot compete with experience on a living being. For example, the United States Army formerly shot goats to train physician responses to gunshot wounds (Cole ...
Have you ever seen a stray animal on the side of the road and thought nothing of it? It is actions like that and others that continue to make this planet a cruel place for domestic animals to live. Many domestic animals are not created to destroy or harm anyone or anything. They are meant to be surrounded by loving caring humans who want to have a mutually beneficial relationship better them. Sadly, these animals are taken into shelters or pounds and if not claimed or adopted they are euthanized or become test subjects. According to PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, “each year, more than 100 million animals are killed in U.S. laboratories for biology lessons, medical training, curiosity-driven experimentation, and chemical,
Imagine if your pet was getting experimented on for a product you might buy in the future. Would anyone really want that product, your pet was in pain because of it? Animals are getting experimented on for products to get released to the public. Some companies are using vitro researching to test their products but not enough companies are using vitro as their form of testing products. Synthetic skin could reduce the amount of animals getting tested on everyday for companies to release new products to the public. Animals are getting experimented on everyday.
Mulkeen, Declan and Carter, Simon. “When Should Animals Suffer?” Times Higher Education Supplement 1437 (5/26/2000): p34
For centuries scientists have used animals to study the causes of diseases; to test drugs, vaccines and surgical techniques; and to evaluate the safety of chemicals used in pesticides, cosmetics and other products. However, many scientists amongst animal- right activists forbid the use of animals in scientific research regardless how many illnesses are eliminated through the use of animals in scientific research. Amongst animal right activists, David Suzuki also raises concerns towards animal experimentation. In his article, The Pain of Animals, Suzuki argues that humans have no right to exploit animals because--much like humans--animals also experience pain. In contrast to Suzuki, Haldane, in his article, Some Enemies of Science, argues because animals are very similar to humans, scientists have no choice but to use animals in scientific experiments. Both authors greatly contrast their opinions towards animal experimentation; however Haldane has a more explanatory approach towards animal experimentation. He argues animal experimentation should be acceptable because other forms of animal exploitation are acceptable in society. Secondly, unlike other forms of exploitation which seek pleasure in killing animals such as leisure sport, scientists, most likely do not harm animals; if pain is intended on an animal it is strictly for the purpose of scientific advancement. Thirdly, although, animal experimentation may cause some extinction, it is only one of many other causes of extinction, if other causes are not condemned; then neither should animal experiment...
Windsor, Roger G. “Spare Body Parts from Animals.” Spectrum: The Wholistic News Magazine. Mar-Apr 1997.
Every year thousands of animals are euthanized due to animal testing such as cosmetic testing, medical testing, and dissection. (A Critical Look at Animal Experimentation) (Types of Animal Testing) Some of the things we use every day such as; make up, soap, furniture polish, and varieties of cleaning supplies, are tested on rabbits, guinea pigs, dogs, cats, and other animals. (Animal Testing) Cosmetic testing is used to test a product and its ingredients, medical testing finds cures for different illnesses; and dissection is used to help high school students in science classes have a better understanding of the class or students undergoing the medical field in college. (Animal Experimentation) Animal testing is not required by law; it is only used to protect companies from consumer lawsuits, provided new research for diseases, and provide a visual learning experiment for students. (A Critical Look at Animal Experimentation) It has been proven that there are more reliable and less expensive alternatives to animal testing, such as; computer models and cell and tissue tests. Animal experimentation should be eliminated because it is an inhumane method for testing purposes.
The person going to veterinary school would most likely be taking a biology and biology lab course. In the class, the students would be told exactly what to dissect without any room for exploration and curiosity. On the other hand, the Hunter/ fisherman has a true passion for it and can be as curios as they want. They will most likely remember more of the anatomy than the veterinary students do. The necessity of unmediated seeing and thinking in academia is very important. In order for students to really learn, they must truly get the full experience. Students can reclaim their rights as a sovereign individuals by simply being control of themselves and their education by allowing themselves to truly discover and understand each new topic they learn about. Students need to be liberated in their education and should be allowed to explore it for themselves instead of following a specific procedure. The students should be allowed and possibly even encouraged to make mistakes, because it may lead to a discovery and possible even new knowledge. For a student living in a developed culture, most education has become a prepackaged experience. We have expectations for the classroom and our teachers as well as for what being educated will do for our lives. An educators job is to help students break free from the experience and should encourage the students to think and experience education for
In Labs 22 through 26, my lab partner and I were assigned a fetal pig to perform a dissection on in order to understand anatomy, the study of an organism’s structure1, and physiology, the study of the functions and activities of a living organism2. Throughout these labs, we studied the structure of the fetal pig and performed experiments to understand four system processes: digestion, cardiovascular, respiratory, and excretory. Dissecting an organism, physically moving and seeing the different portions of the organism, especially of a fetal pig, is very important. This helps in the understanding of the skeletal structure and what series of physical and chemical processes the mammalian species body performs in order to survive.
"Animal Experimentation: Debatabase - Debate Topics and Debate Motions." IDEA: International Debate Education Association - Debate Resources & Debate Tools. Web. 16 Dec. 2009. .
Justifying the Killing of Animals for Research. Works Cited Missing Can killing animals for medical research, cosmetics, food and sport be? justifiable. What is the difference between a 'justifiable' For what reason can they be killed or should they not be? killed at all. Not killing animals at all would lead to overgrowth in population, which could cause damage to the environment.
The first step was to obtain the White Rat and to tie it in the supine position, anterior surface facing up in side the dissection pan. To tie the animal, we used butcher’s twine and secured the front and hinds legs using a “lasso” technique, careful not touch the sharp claws. To make the first insicion I had to locate the Xifoid Process of the rat (distal aspect of the sternum). Once I had located the Xifoid Process, I had to use forceps to pull the skin of the animal’s abdomen up and use the scissors to cut. The first incision is made from stem to sternum, cutting through the errectos abdomen muscle down to the groin. The second incision ion is perpendicular to the first below the diaphragm. Because of this technique we were able to open the abdominal cavity first. The third and forth incisions were made bilaterally above the legs. The last two incisions were made in upside down “V” shape on the collarbone, to expose the thoracic cavity. This dissection was both sharp, because of the use of the scissors and scapel and blunt because of the use of the probe and forceps to move organs and skin to expose other organs not yet identified.
Anatomists, morphologists and biologists have tried to understand the way living creatures are living, and what they look like inside. Dr. Frourie in 1974 painfully cut organisms into thin slices, to study their internal arrangement to better understand them. Today, these people use CT scanners instead. It is a lot easier, less bloody, takes shorter time and the sample is not affected or destroyed during the procedure- the advantages are numerous. This technique enables us to visualize the inside of us humans, organisms or other objects in 3-D geometry.
In defense of Animals, “The Animal Reasurch Industry Needs More Oversite.” Animal Experimentation San Diego, California. 2002.99-105. Print.
It has long been debated as to whether it is ethical to use animals for experimentation. When considering whether animal research is ethically acceptable or not two main concerns must be raised. The first issue is whether it is absolutely necessary to use animals in order to acquire information that may contribute to the improvement of people’s health and well-being. The second issue is whether the use of animals is defendable on a moral ground.