An Ethical Dilemma

The recent debate on whether or not animal experimentation should be allowed has sparked uproar. When scientists think they have what they claim to be a “wonder drug,” they need a way to test the safety of the drug before it is safe for human use. At this point scientists turn to animals, because of their close resemblance to humans. With drug companies reducing experimentations and using alternatives, some people may wonder why animals undergo experimentation in the first place. While there are advantages to animal experimentation, it does not ensure success in human clinical trials, there is no law protecting any animal from cruel experimentation, and some animals should not have to live in cruel facilities.

For example, penicillin kills guinea pigs but it is totally inactive in rabbits. When tested on animals the results are not always the same. Alternative methods would be beneficial to companies so that they don’t loose money when people start to not by their product. Researching on the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) website a Journal of the American Medical Association and British M... ... middle of paper ... ...w advancements in the areas of molecular biology and computer technology. Works Cited "Alternatives to Animal Testing."

These medical i... ... middle of paper ... ...http://www.aavs.org/site/c.bkLTKfOSLhK6E/b.6456997/k.3D74/Problems_with_Animal_Research.htm. Festing, S., & Wilkinson, R. (2007). The ethics of animal research. Talking point on the use of animals in scientific research. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2002542/.

Medical Research Council - Use of animals in medical research . Medical Research Council, n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. <http://www.mrc.ac.uk/Ourresearch/Ethicsresearchguidance/Useofanimals/index.htm>.

Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Apr. 2012.

Scientist use all types of animals, but the most common are rats, mice, birds, reptiles and amphibians (ASPCA). Animal testing can result in an injury and or death to the animal that is being tested on. Scientist should find healthy and safe alternatives to figuring out information they need, rather than using helpless animals. Animal testing has been around for a long time and it has just recently sparked controversy in the scientific community. Some scientist feel that they could find healthy alternatives, while others feel that they have the right to use animals in their experiments, and that the animals are inferior to humans; therefore, have no rights ("Controversy of Animal Testing - About Animal Testing (UK)").

Others believe that because they are not human, that they can do whatever they want with them. The implementation of laws has also been in discussion to avoid inhumane treatment of animals. Animal testing as well as the argument as to if it should be done for the purpose of medical research has been around for centuries. The first recorded account dates back to Aristotle who was the first to notice internal differences of animals. During his work, Aristotle believed that humans were typically the superior race (Blazina, Boyra & Shen-Miller, 2007).

Animals should be used for research and Experimentation because if the animals get sick or show any signs of acting abnormal then the scientists know it isn’t safe for humans to use. Animal research has played a big role in nearly every medical breakthrough over the last decade. Animals have the same organ system that perform the same task, which helps determine if what is being tested is safe for humans to use. Most of the medicines animals use the same medicine as humans like antibiotics, pain killers, and many more this helps to see if the medicine cures the animals without any harmful consequences then it would be safe and useful for humans to use. Using animals for research and experimentation has led to cancer survival rates to continue to rise.

Medical industries have already come so far in treating multiple ailments due to the tests performed on animals. Alas, it is safe to say that for the continued thriving of our society, forbidding animal experimentation would be detrimental. What woul... ... middle of paper ... ...Because people see animal testing procedures as unethical and immoral, it’s important for them to consider what their health would be like without the process—potentially afflicted with incurable illnesses. Continuing the animal experimenting process can only prove beneficial in promoting fewer ailments and cures to existing and future diseases. Works Cited Breen, Bill.

Academic Search Premier. Web. 12 Mar. 2012. Reidy, Dennis E., Joshua D. Foster, and Amos Zeichner.