March 5 of twenty-seven years ago, somebody’s mom passed away at a young age, the cause was a brain tumor, twenty years later somebody’s coworker survived to the same disease. What happened in these two decades in the medical field? “American are living longer, healthier lives and we owe much of that success to biomedical research”. Dr. Robert Palazzo (FASEB). By the end of the 19th and the 20th centuries the medical science has been accelerated by the Medicine Act, 1968, which provided a guide to the use of animals in safety testing. This expansion reflected a growing medical field. In 1986, in UK the Animal Welfare Act was approved, ensuring higher animal care in laboratory. Scientists improved better tests, using less animals and making sure that none received intentionally a fatal dose. Thanks to animals research the 20th century made many medical discoveries, to state few: insulin, the polio vaccine, meningitis vaccine, penicillin, the elimination of smallpox, CT scanning for improved diagnosis, chemotherapy for leukemia, cervical cancer vaccine, the discovery of Herceptin for breast cancer, and more. According to statistics, dogs, cats and primates altogether account for less than 0.2% of research animals and 97% in the UK is done on mice, rats, fish and birds. Animals are used in research only when there is no way to obtain answers necessary to the research and not ethically acceptable to test on humans. UK controls all the data research animals are used for. Animals are very similar to humans; same organs systems; suffer from similar diseases including cancers, TB, flu and asthma; all veterinary research has relied on the use of animal research; many veterinary medicines are the same as those used for human patients, ... ... middle of paper ... ... food and water; to keep them dry and clean. Long time ago animals were used to hunt, to guard, to protect the owner property, to catch rats. Today things are different there is a large number of animals domesticated as pets, other than dog, cat, there are rats, mice, birds, snakes, gecko, big lizard etc. Industry is taking advantages of the situation with pet hospital, pet hotel, training, grooming, making profit out of them. People get affectionate to pets as they are part of the family, compensating any how the company of a human being. According to Roger Scruton, humans are not the only who benefit from medical research but, all the animals within our care have interest in it, and the assumption must be that it is so conducted that the long-term benefits to all of us, human and animal, outweigh the short-term costs in pain and discomfort.
Both in and out of philosophical circle, animals have traditionally been seen as significantly different from, and inferior to, humans because they lacked a certain intangible quality – reason, moral agency, or consciousness – that made them moral agents. Recently however, society has patently begun to move beyond this strong anthropocentric notion and has begun to reach for a more adequate set of moral categories for guiding, assessing and constraining our treatment of other animals. As a growing proportion of the populations in western countries adopts the general position of animal liberation, more and more philosophers are beginning to agree that sentient creatures are of a direct moral concern to humans, though the degree of this concern is still subject to much disagreement. The political, cultural and philosophical animal liberation movement demands for a fundamental transformation of humans’ present relations to all sentient animals. They reject the idea that animals are merely human resources, and instead claim that they have value and worth in themselves. Animals are used, among other things, in basic biomedical research whose purpose is to increase knowledge about the basic processes of human anatomy. The fundamental wrong with this type of research is that it allows humans to see animals as here for them, to be surgically manipulated and exploited for money. The use of animals as subjects in biomedical research brings forth two main underlying ethical issues: firstly, the imposition of avoidable suffering on creatures capable of both sensation and consciousness, and secondly the uncertainty pertaining to the notion of animal rights.
Without animal research, cures for such diseases as typhoid, diphtheria, and polio might never have existed. Without animal research, the development of antibiotics and insulin would have been delayed. Without animal research, many human beings would now be dead. However, because of animal testing, 200,000 dogs, 50,000 cats, 60,000 primates, 1.5 million hamsters, and uncounted millions of rats and mice are experimented upon and die each year, as living fodder for the great human scientific machine. Some would say that animal research is an integral part of progress; unfortunately, this is often true. On the whole, animal testing is a necessary evil that should be reduced and eliminated whenever possible.
Animal experiments used in biological research have helped make many advancements in human medicine. Through these experiments when has achieved, a decrease in infant mortality, longer lifespan, and an increase in the quality of life (American Medical Associaton 3). Through indirect of direct experimentation, almost all medical advances can be traced back to research through animals. The control and dismissal of diseases like: small pox, poliomyelitis, and measles has been achieved with animals. Blood transfusions, burn therapy, open brain and hearts surgery where all fulfilled the same way (American Medical Association 54). "Biomedical advances depend on research with animals, and not using them would deprive humans and criminals of the benefits of research" (American Media Association74). Through animal research we could find solutions to AIDS, cancer, heart diseases, aging, and congenital defects. Like Lord Adrian said, “The use of living animals in scientific research can be considered justified if it is likely to produce appreciable benefit to society, if there is no way to conduct the research in quest...
Animal testing is a largely debated and controversial issue. It was first introduced in the United States in the 1920s (Goldberg 85). Since then, there have been many advances in the field of medicine and science. These advances are due largely to the fact that animals are used in experiments and research. Animal testing has given doctors some of their most successful accomplishments. Also, they help researchers discover how to improve long known theories about the human mind and body. Over 40 Nobel Prizes have been given to researchers “whose achievements depended, at least in part, on using laboratory animals” (Trull 64). These animal experiments have helped humans live a better life. Animal testing benefits doctors...
At the turn of the new century, activists begun to protest the morality of animal experimentation: “… such methodology is far too cruel on beast, it cannot better mankind, but its lead to it demise…” Despite the rising concern for animal safety in laboratory research, federal legislations approved the practice. According to the federal bureaucrats, it is an essential tool to improve our current medical knowledge. Hence, most of the tested animals have a relatively shorter life span than human. Thus, it allows to test long-term disease in a smaller timeframe. Nonetheless, animal enthusiast request the banishment of animal experimentation in laboratory. Ergo, with our current technology, researchers are capable to reproduce the same result
Why do we have to use animals for research? Many humans and animals get the same illnesses because animals are biologically similar to humans. Animals have a shorter life cycle than humans and as a result, they can be studied throughout their whole life span or across several generations. According to information from the Office of Technology Assessment, it is estimated that between 17 and 23 million animals are used in research each year. Approximately 95% of these animals are rats and mice specifically bred for research and 4.25% of these animals include rabbits, guinea pigs, sheep, fish, frogs, insects, and other species. Most importantly, only 0.75% of the animals in research are cats, dogs, and primates. Major medical advances have been made because of the research of these animals. (Animal Research 2013)
For many years, animal testing has been the main solution to test household products, food, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. The term “animal testing” refers to the procedure performed on certain animals to determine if a certain product is safe. Most of these procedures done on the animal can cause a great amount of physical pain, and distress. Most animals die shortly after the experiment because so much pain was inflicted on their body. After the testing is done, the animals are left to suffer in cages. The different types of experiments performed on the animals are outrageous. There is even an alternative to animal testing, but scientist refuse to use it, and some people wonder if animals are even needed for medical research.
The reasons for animal researching are understandable and could change a person’s decision whether or not they would want to ban animal testing. Scientific knowledge is needed to determine if the product is a decent way to treat a disease. Different species are studied to show the similarities and differences of the way the skin or animal will react, although mostly simple animals are studied. The nervous or immune systems, the most complex systems, are usually studied by using the same functions as used in all animals. Animals are also used as models to understand disease. A lot of animals suffer from the same diseases and defects as humans such as cancer, emphysema, and many more. The website states “Recent advances in genetic technology have allowed the development of transgenic animals, which have new genes inserted into their DNA, allowing them to develop human diseases which do not naturally affect them”. This means the researchers mean no harm to the animals; they are just trying to figure out what is best for humans. Researchers try their best to develop potential forms of treatment. Many diagnostic tools were tested on animals and would not be useful to h...
According to several studies, animals have played a crucial role in medical advancement over the last century. The article “Alas, Animal Experiments are Still Needed,” explains that animals have been used for testing the safety of drugs and vaccines from common pain-killers to anti-cancer treatment. The article points out, “They may not be perfect and human trials are also vital, but without animals medical advances would seriously be hampered” (qtd. in “Alas” P2). The article suggests that animals are crucial to medical research because they test the safety of a drug. While it may be true that animals play a vital role in experiments, in reality, some animals do not get a second chance to live and have fun because if they are harmed, recovery takes time and is not guaranteed. The website People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) explains that nine out of ten (92%) drugs and vaccines that are tested on animals work for them, yet fail in human clinical trials. The author mentions, “They argue the potential benefits ...
To begin with, animal testing is vital to find out side effects of medicine that should be tested on animals rather than being tested on human begins. According to Archibald (2004), in 1937, in the USA, a drug was distributed in liquid to treat streptococcal infections. Unfortunately, the solvent was diethylene glycol (antifreeze), which was known to be horribly and fatally toxic but drug-safety testing was not required. 137 deaths followed. In addition, animals have saved human lives for decades. Without animal research, many of the diseases would still affect the world today and few cures would be found. According to Emory University, “major medical advances that have resulted from animal research include the treatment of rabies, smallpox, pellagra, and rickets and the discovery of sulfa drugs, penicillin, and other modern antibiotics.” Finally, animal research is continuing to enhance and improve the medical field overall. For example, a new neuroimplant system, the Tulggar, developed to solve the problems with present implants was tested on sheep to ensure the use on living tissue. Without the use of sheep to test this new implant system, the Tulgar would not have been developed and be established as a clinical tool in modern medicine (Kalkan et. Al, 2015). However, even though animal research has been the foundation for medicinal uses, animal rights activists will
Millions of animals are used to test consumer products, but they also become victims to experiments for medical research. In The Ethics of Animal Research (2007) both authors state that there have been many medical advances with the development of medicines and treatments as a result of research conducted on animals (para 1). These medical i...
Medical research is a lengthy process that involves numerous undertakings. Without taking the risks and paying the costs, new findings would not be accomplished. Animal research has been especially beneficial to the field of medicine. Testing on animals should be accepted in the world of scientific studies because it would provide research for diseases, benefit all mankind, surgical procedures, and finally it would save a lot of time.
The deployment of animals for medical research has brought heated debates from both the proponents and opponents each holding to their views in a tight manner. Those who are in support of animal research argue that it has been constituting a vital element in the advancement of medical sciences throughout the world providing insights to various diseases, which have helped in the discovery and development of various medicines that have brought an improvement in the qualify of living of people. Such discoveries have gone so deep that but for them many would have died a premature death because no cure would have been found for the diseases that they were otherwise suffering. On the other hand, animal lovers and animal right extremists hold to the view that animal experimentation is not only necessary but also Cruel. Human kind is subjecting them to such cruelties because they are helpless and even assuming such experiments do bring in benefits, the inhuman treatment meted out to them is simply not worth such benefits. They would like measures, including enactment of legislations to put an end to using animals by the name of research. This paper takes the view there are merits in either of the arguments and takes the stand a balanced approach needs to be taken on the issue so that both the medical science does not suffer, and the animal lovers are pacified, even if not totally satisfied. The rest of the paper is organized as follows: The next section discusses both the sides by taking account the view of scholars and practitioners and the subsequent section concludes the paper by drawing vital points from the previous section to justify the stand taken in this paper....
Every year, millions of animals experience painful, suffering and death due to results of scientific research as the effects of drugs, medical procedures, food additives, cosmetics and other chemical products. Basically, animal experimentation has played a dominant role in leading with new findings and human advantages. Animal research has had a main function in many scientific and medical advances in the past decade and is helping in the understanding of several diseases. While most people believe than animal testing is necessary, others are worried about the excessive suffering of this innocent’s creatures. The balance between the rights of animals and their use in medical research is a delicate issue with huge societal assumptions. Nowadays people are trying to understand and take in consideration these social implications based in animals rights. Even though, many people tend to disregard animals that have suffered permanent damage during experimentation time. Many people try to misunderstand the nature of life that animals just have, and are unable to consider the actual laboratory procedures and techniques that these creatures tend to be submitted. Animal experimentation must be excluded because it is an inhumane way of treat animals, it is unethical, and exist safer ways to test products without painful test.
There is always a special relationship between humans and animals, and some people will consider and treat their home animals as a part of their family members. In the recent decade, the animal experimentation plays a very significant role for biomedical research. Those animal experimentation allows scientists to do medical research on animals to develop new drugs for saving human life and preventing human suffering from diseases, and it also helps to ensure the safety of the drugs. Since some animal’s biological systems have a remarkable similarity with humans, it is tough to find an effective replacement for animal research. Although most of animal researches bring humans benefit, some people argue that animal research is torturing animals and violating animal rights and it should be banned. In fact, most of the alternative cannot provide accurate and correct information for the scientists, so animals should be allow use in scientific research.