Animal Testing Essay, Example Composition Writing on
Animal Testing
Essay 1: Is Animal Testing a Necessity?
Every year, millions of animals undergo painful suffering or death
as a result of scientific research into the effects of drugs, food
additives, cosmetics and other chemical products. While most people
think animal testing is necessary, others are upset by what
they see as needless suffering. This essay looks at some of the
positive and negative aspects of animal testing.
Many medical treatments and procedures have been developed from
experiments on animals. Since animals share many features with
humans, scientists use animals to test the safety and effectiveness
of newly developed drugs before pilot testing on small groups of
patients. Medical teams practice new operating techniques such as
transplants on animals. Without animal testing, many
procedures or new drugs would be extremely unsafe.
However, many people are concerned that animals are suffering
unnecessarily and cruelly. They do not believe that every new drug
needs to be tested on animals, especially with the huge database of
knowledge and modern computer models. They also are worried that
many animal tests are ineffective, pointing out that many drugs have
had to be withdrawn from the market despite extensive testing. They
particularly feel that animal testing should not be used for
non-essential products such as cosmetics, shampoos, soaps, and
cleaning products. Furthermore, some campaigners would like to see
certain tests replaced and more humane methods used.
We need to make sure that the millions of animals who are used for
testing new products are treated with the minimum of suffering.
Although some animal testing may be unavoidable at present,
treating our fellow creatures as mercifully as possible will
demonstrate our humanity.
Essay 2: Animal Testing
Every day, thousands of people are saved from painful diseases
and death by powerful medical drugs and treatments. This incredible
gift of medicine would not be possible without animal testing.
Despite these overwhelming benefits, however, some people are
calling for animal testing to be banned because of alleged
cruelty. This essay will examine arguments for and against
animal testing.
Those against the use of animal testing claim that it is inhumane to
use animals in experiments. I disagree completely. It would be much
more inhumane to test new drugs on children or adults. Even if it
were possible, it would also take much longer to see potential
effects, because of the length of time we live compared to
laboratory animals such as rats or rabbits.
Opponents of animal testing also claim that the results are
not applicable to humans. This may be partly true. Some drugs have
had to be withdrawn, despite testing. However, we simply do not have
alternative methods of testing. Computer models are not
advanced enough, and testing on plants is much less applicable to
humans than tests on animals such as monkeys. Until we have a better
system, we must use animal testing.
A further point often raised against animal testing is that
it is cruel. Some of the tests certainly seem painful, but the great
majority of people on this planet eat meat or wear leather without
any guilt. Where is their sympathy for animals? Furthermore, animals
clearly do not feel the same way as humans, and scientists are
careful to minimize stress in the animals, since this would damage
their research.
I agree that we need to make sure that animals who are used for
testing new products have the minimum of suffering. However, I am
convinced that animal testing is necessary, and that it will
continue to benefit humans in new and wonderful ways.
Essay
Example 3: Animal Testing May Be Necessary
Animal testing may
be necessary, but we need to be be merciful. Every year, millions of
animals undergo painful suffering or death as a result of scientific
research into the effects of drugs, food additives, cosmetics and
other chemical products. While most people think animal testing is
necessary, others are upset by what they see as needless suffering.
This essay looks at some of the positive and negative aspects of
animal testing.
Many medical treatments and procedures have been developed from
experiments on animals. Since animals share many features with
humans, scientists use animals to test the safety and effectiveness
of newly developed drugs before pilot testing on small groups of
patients. Medical teams practice new operating techniques such as
transplants on animals. Without animal testing, many procedures or
new drugs would be extremely unsafe.
However, many people are concerned that animals are suffering
unnecessarily and cruelly. They do not believe that every new drug
needs to be tested on animals, especially with the huge database of
knowledge and modern computer models. They also are worried that
many animal tests are ineffective, pointing out that any drugs have
had to be withdrawn from the market despite extensive testing. They
particularly feel that animal testing should not be used for
non-essential products such as cosmetics, shampoos, soaps, and
cleaning products. Furthermore, some campaigners would like to see
certain tests replaced and more humane methods used.
We need to make sure that the millions of animals who are used for
testing new products are treated with the minimum of suffering.
Although some animal testing may be unavoidable at present, treating
our fellow creatures as mercifully as possible will demonstrate our
humanity.
There is no alternative
Every day, thousands of people are saved from painful diseases and
death by powerful medical drugs and treatments. This incredible gift
of medicine would not be possible without animal testing. Despite
these overwhelming benefits, however, some people are calling for
animal testing to be banned because of alleged cruelty.
This essay will examine arguments for and against animal testing.
Those against the use of animal testing claim that it is inhumane to
use animals in experiments. I disagree completely. It would be much
more inhumane to test new drugs on children or adults. Even if it
were possible, it would also take much longer to see potential
effects, because of the length of time we live compared to
laboratory animals such as rats or rabbits.
Opponents of animal testing also claim that the results are
not applicable to humans. This may be partly true. Some drugs have
had to be withdrawn, despite testing. However, we simply do not have
alternative methods of testing. Computer models are not advanced
enough, and testing on plants is much less applicable to humans than
tests on animals such as monkeys. Until we have a better system, we
must use animal testing. A further point often raised against
animal testing is that it is cruel. Some of the tests certainly
seem painful, but the great majority of people on this planet eat
meat or wear leather without any guilt. Where is their sympathy for
animals? Furthermore, animals clearly do not feel the same way as
humans, and scientists are careful to minimize stress in the
animals, since this would damage their research. I agree that we
need to make sure that animals who are used for testing new products
have the minimum of suffering. However, I am convinced that animal
testing is necessary, and that it will continue to benefit humans in
new and wonderful ways.
Advantages of Animal Testing in Medical Research
Medical research involving animals has dramatically improved the
health of the human race. Without animal testing, the cure for polio
would not exist and diabetics would suffer or die from their
disease. Despite these benefits, some people believe that animals
should be not be used for testing medical techniques and drugs. This
essay will outline the advantages of animal testing.
Animal testing allows scientists to test and create new drugs.
Animals such as monkeys or rabbits have similar physical processes
to humans. This allows scientists to test the effects of certain
drugs. If a drug produces adverse effects in animals it is probably
unfit for human use. Animal testing is cheap. There is a
large supply of animals for medical research. Animals are easily
bred, and maintained safely in controlled labs. The costs of testing
in humans would be extremely high. Many people argue that animal
testing is cruel. In some cases this is true. However it would be
much more cruel to test new drugs on people or children, or to let
people die because there was not enough information about a drug.
Furthermore, legislation in most countries sets standards for animal
treatment, and laboratories have guidelines to prevent cruelty.
Opponents of animal research also say that information from animals
does not apply to humans. They point to certain commercial drugs
which have been withdrawn because of side-effects in humans While it
is true that animal systems differ from human systems, there are
enough similarities to apply information from animals to humans.
Animal rights campaigners claim that we don’t need new tests because
we already have vast amounts of information. However, many new
deadly infections appear every year and new treatments and drugs are
needed to combat these deadly plagues. Animal testing is
needed in the world we live in. Our responsibility is to manage the
animals in our care and balance their suffering against the good
that comes from them.
Essay Sample 3: The Truth About Animal Research
Animal research is a very controversial topic that is disputed
between many scientists and animal activists. Scientists argue that
animal research is necessary because it helps them develop
medication, vaccines, or new procedures to treat or prevent diseases
for both humans and animals. Animal activists, on the other hand,
argue that animal testing is cruel and inhumane because the animals
suffer for the sole benefit of another species. This group of people
does not know the truth about animal research and the scientists
involved with it. They need to be educated about the real facts of
animal testing: Animals involved in animal testing are
treated fairly, animal research and testing benefits both humans and
animals, and the doctors performing the research really do care
about the animals. If the world listened to the real facts, not the
myths, about animal testing, then scientists would be able to make
much more progress with their research.
Contrary to the many preconceived notions about animal research, the
animals involved in the experiments are not tortured or in pain.
Animals involved with animal research are almost never in agony
because "fifty-seven percent of all research procedures with animals
involved no more than slight or momentary pain or distress". It is
essential that these animals are treated fairly because well-treated
animals provide reliable scientific results. If an animal is in pain
or distress, then that will affect how the animal responds to the
medication being tested. Also, each animal research institution must
establish a committee that includes a veterinarian and outside
members of the public. This committee examines and supervises every
experiment to confirm that each animal is treated with optimal care.
There are also federal laws, such as the Public Health Service Act
and the Animal Welfare Act, which "regulate the alleviation and
elimination of pain" and also monitor certain aspects of animal care
such as "caging, feeding, exercise of dogs, and the psychological
well-being of primates". These laws prevent scientists from
intentionally neglecting any of the animals that are involved with
the research being done. The scientists are privileged to work with
the animals in the first place. Therefore, it is highly unlikely
that they would abuse this privilege by intentionally harming any
animal.
Animal research has helped with the development of many medications
and vaccines that have helped both humans and animals. Even animal
activists cannot argue this fact: Almost every advancement in the
medical world has in some way depended on animal research. For
humans, animal research has increased the average American life span
by almost thirty years. The Foundation for Biomedical Research says,
"Our best hope for developing preventions, treatments and cures for
diseases such as Alzheimer's, AIDS and cancer will also involve
biomedical research using animals". Animal research has also helped
with the development of vaccines for common diseases that were once
endemic. Some of these common vaccines are for polio, rubella,
mumps, measles, tetanus, and influenza. For animals, the creation of
vaccines for rabies, parvovirus, anthrax, tetanus, distemper,
infectious hepatitis, and feline leukemia has improved their lives
dramatically. Animal research is helping to create new treatments
for heart disease, glaucoma, cancer, hip dysplasia, and traumatic
injuries of animals. The developments made by animal research are
also helping to preserve endangered species through advanced
reproductive techniques. Animal research is extremely beneficial for
both humans and animals, and without it medical treatment would not
be as advanced as it is today.
Doctors involved with animal research are being wrongly judged as
people who do not care about the welfare of animals. On the
contrary, doctors who perform animal research really do care about
the animals with which they work. They are doing these experiments
to help the animals also. Many people believe they are exploiting
animals in order to exclusively benefit another species--the human
race. This is false given that the doctors are performing the
research for not only the benefit of humans, but also for animals.
There is also another preconceived notion that doctors could be
performing their experiments with computer models and cell cultures.
This is also false seeing as although computer models and cell
cultures can help us gain some information about the living systems
of animals and humans, the final test has to be done in a living
system. The Foundation for Biomedical Research says, "Even the most
sophisticated technology cannot mimic the complicated interactions
among cells, tissues, and organs that occur in humans and animals".
All of these myths debase the doctors involved with animal research.
Instead of spreading myths about animal research doctors, the world
should be spreading the true facts.
Animal research is extremely important due to its innumerable
contributions to the medical world. It has saved millions of human
and animal lives through the creation of safe and effective
vaccines, medication, and procedures to treat many of the diseases,
that at one time plagued our world. Although many animal activists
protest that animal research is cruel and inhumane, they could not
be more mistaken. Animal research does not exploit and harm animals.
On the contrary, it protects and benefits them. Doctors would be
able to receive more funding and assistance if everyone supported
animal research. This could lead to even more breakthroughs in
medicine for humans and animals. If it were possible to save even
more lives through animal research, shouldn't everyone support this
humane cause?
Essay Example 4: Lifesaving Animals in
Research
Scientists are working hard to find ways to eliminate diseases
and create lifesaving surgical procedures by humanely using animals
in biomedical research. Using animals for medical studies however,
is wrongly looked down on as cruel and inhumane. The people who
believe false accusations and unfairly judge the practice are
missing the facts that biomedical research is far from crazy
scientists senselessly murdering animals. Biomedical research is
absolutely necessary and can be thanked for many vaccines which have
quieted diseases that once killed millions of both humans and
animals. Through biomedical research, animals have helped us to
create a healthier world in which humans and animals benefit from
lifesaving work.
Biomedical research has been accused of killing millions of animals
and treating them cruelly, but this allegation could not be further
from the truth. The animals receive top quality care and are treated
with the utmost respect. The Animal Welfare Act, created in 1966,
set forth rules and regulations on how to deal with animals in
research. It demands that all animals receive "adequate, food,
living space, and veterinary attention". In addition to this,
animals must also be housed in clean and properly lit buildings.
Dogs are required to receive exercise and primates are to be kept
psychologically happy. Failure to comply with the regulations
results in steep fines and even closure of a facility. Researchers
will administer pain killers or anesthesia, although many
experiments cause little to no pain. A scientist's first concern
while experimenting is an animal's health, and researchers fully
believe that there is no justification for inhumane treatment. A
stressed or hurt animal can change results and make them invalid;
therefore, the animal is provided with the best quality care because
good health is an absolute priority when experimenting. Laws and
regulations on animal welfare have been established and strictly
followed by researchers to achieve their biggest goal: Healthy
animals, who give reliable results, lead to the creation of
lifesaving drugs.
The use of animals in biomedical research has been unfairly judged
by many animal activists who are ignorant of the facts surrounding
the industry. The myth of scientists as cruel individuals has been
fabricated by many animal activist groups. Why would the people, who
were motivated by their desire to alleviate pain and suffering in
the first place, purposely cause unnecessary harm to the animals who
help to achieve that goal? Animal activist groups feel that no
animal should be used in biomedical research and have gone to
extreme lengths by breaking in to laboratories, stealing animals,
and destroying years worth of data. It is these radical groups, not
the biomedical industry, who destroy research and ultimately cause
the suffering to the people and animals because vaccines are not
administered. Gross exaggerations made by activists include the myth
that millions of pets are stolen and placed in laboratories.
Scientists have no interest in using family pets and acquire most of
their animals from a licensed breeder or in some states, not
including Pennsylvania, a pound. Millions of cats and dogs waste
away in shelters every year, but biomedical research offers a way
for their lives to be
beneficial to everyone. Some argue that animals are not needed if
options like computer programs and cell cultures are available to
observe chemical reactions: "But the body's organs and systems
interact in sophisticated ways". Although these simple replacements
provide valuable information, they are not enough for scientists to
fully comprehend the complexity of the reactions that occur in the
body. The biomedical industry is under attack from exaggerated
claims made by animal activist, but the real facts prove how
important the research is for saving lives.
Biomedical research can be thanked for the millions of lives saved
from the vaccines and procedures created. Animals used in research
have made special contributions to the medical world, especially
dogs, cats, monkeys, and rodents. Dogs have been particularly
helpful in developing surgeries such as coronary bypass surgery,
pacemaker implantation, heart valve insertion, and angioplasty
because of the similarities between the human and the canine
cardiovascular system. Brain and hearing disorders have been
researched through cats, and non-human primates have helped
scientists understand some of today's life-threatening diseases
including malaria, AIDS, heart disease, and cancer. Not only has
this research benefited humans, but also has helped to create a
vaccine called the parvovirus vaccine, which has saved thousands of
dog's lives. The hard work that has been accomplished through using
animals in research has helped to create a healthier world.
Biomedical research is under attack by false claims that have
defaced the industry and activists have ignored the miracle advances
that have come from many scientists hard work. These misconceptions
have taken away from the fact that the research helps to save lives
everyday. Scientists have created miracle drugs and procedures, and
they treat the animals that help to achieve this goal with the
highest care and respect as possible. After seeing all the
accomplishments which have come out of the animals being researched,
it is clear that the biomedical industry is a crucial part of
today's world - a world that maybe one day will live without worry
of disease because of these lifesaving animals.
Example Essay 5: Is the Use of Animals in
Biomedical Research Inhumane?
Is biomedical research
inhumane, or does the inhumanity lay in allowing vital information
with the capability to save millions of lives, animal and human
alike, to slip through our fingers? Many believe that testing cures
and remedies on animals is cruel and inhumane, although this
research is imperative to medical progress. Animal testing not only
advances the scientific knowledge of medicine used to treat humans
but to treat animals as well. Protected by restrictive laws to
ensure proper treatment, animals provide critical information for
medical progress.
In order to uncover the mysteries of the human body, cure diseases,
and discover new methods of surgery and treatment, scientists must
study a model similar to that of the human body. Scientists use
biomedical research "to assess human biologic reactions and
responses". Animals are used in biomedical research because they are
structured similarly to the human body. Although advances in
technology have enabled scientists to use cell and tissue samples to
conduct research, many processes can only be accurately studied
through the use of mammals, because of their similarity to humans.
Emulating the body's complex processes is essential to biomedical
research in order to study how diseases and possible treatments
affect the body. Animals are vital components to advancements in
medicine: "Animal studies have provided the scientific knowledge
that allows health care providers to improve the quality of life for
humans and animals by preventing and treating diseases and
disorders, and by easing pain and suffering". This information is
obtained through careful animal testing, regulated by
multiple laws within the United States to ensure the safety of the
animals. Animals are protected by the Animal Welfare Act which
guarantees that animals receive proper housing, food, exercise, and
living environment. Scientists are also required to present a
research proposal to an institutional animal care and use committee
to receive permission before beginning research. In addition,
research conducted involves experiments that do not harm the
animals, or drugs are administered to the animal prior to the
experiment in order to ease the pain. Biomedical research is
conducted safely in order to ensure the proper treatment of the
animals and is imperative to scientific progress.
Medical advancements through biomedical research are extremely
beneficial to humans. Without the inclusion of animal testing in
biomedical research, the scientific discoveries made throughout the
years concerning medical treatments and cures would not have
progressed to the advanced knowledge society possesses today:
"Animal research has played a vital role in virtually every major
medical advance of the last century-for both human and animal
health". Through biomedical research, scientists have been able to
develop vaccines against polio, measles, smallpox, tetanus, and
rubella. Animal testing also contributed to the development of
antibiotics to fight bacterial infection, treatments for cancer,
insulin to aid diabetes patients, kidney dialysis, and the use of
penicillin. Many more
discoveries have been made over the past century, enabling many
diseases, which were once life threatening, to be treated.
Scientists have also been able to study cancer, AIDS, open-heart
surgery, artificial joints, Alzheimer's disease, organ transplants,
and blood transfusions by being able to study these diseases and
procedures through animal testing. Over time, humans have benefited
immensely from the medical advancements made possible through
animal testing-an important process in obtaining research that
has increased human life span and greatly improved the lives of
human beings.
Many believe that animal testing benefits only humans, when in fact
this research provides vital medical information that can be
beneficial to animals as well. Through biomedical research,
scientists have been able to find cures and treatments for diseases
that affect animals. Animal research has lead to the development of
the vaccines against rabies, feline leukemia, anthrax and tetanus.
Many studies conducted have also lead to discoveries of treatments
for cancer in animals, treatment of arthritis, controlling
tuberculosis, and controlling heartworm infection. In addition, many
of the treatments found to work on humans are later altered in order
to treat animals. There are many diseases that can be cured or
treated in order to improve the life of humans, as well as animals:
"both humans and animals suffer from diseases that cause years or
even a lifetime of pain". Biomedical research is imperative for
medical advancements for both human beings and animals.
There are many factors that contribute to the ongoing argument about
the morality of using animals for biomedical research. When
formulating an opinion about animal testing and its justification,
it is important to consider the benefits of the information
obtained. The research conducted has been essential to the medical
advancements made over the years that are responsible for saving
millions of lives daily. Through animal testing, scientists
have also been able to discover new cures and treatments for
diseases prevalent in animals as well as humans. Research facilities
are also required to ensure the safety and proper treatment of the
animals, in accordance with multiple laws passed in the United
States to prevent the maltreatment of animals. When all the facts
are considered, it is the lack of compassion for those suffering
with life altering diseases, not the use of animals to improve and
save the lives of millions, which is inhumane.
Sample Essay 6: Moral Ethics Concerning
Animal Testing
The statement “the confinement and use of non-human animals in
scientific and medical experiments is morally unacceptable,” is one
that needs to be given serious consideration. It must be asked if
the benefits of experimenting on animals are really worth the pain,
suffering, and death inflicted on these innocent creatures. The
answer is complex, but the consequences of the living conditions and
experimentation are far too great to be morally permissible.
Non-human animals are treated cruelly and disrespectfully while they
are kept and caged in unhealthy conditions. Certain factors must be
considered when looking at the inhumane treatment of animals in
research facilities. These aspects include: the
conscious/self-awareness of animals, the pain imposed, the right to
life, equal consideration, animal dignity, and the inherent worth of
these living creatures. There are alternatives to animal testing
through technological advancements that allow for more accurate test
findings and results without causing any harm to animals or humans.
Considering all of these issues, the treatment and experimentation
on non-human animals is disturbing and unethical.
Conscious and self-aware creatures have the ability to perceive
themselves at a particular moment in time separate from others, as
an individual. They are aware of sensations that travel through
their nerves and to their brains, such as pain when caused from
external stimuli. Self aware animals have the ability to reason and
think they’re way through a problem. This has been evident with
animals like the Great Apes that have proven in one case with
mirrors to be able to recognize themselves in the reflection of the
mirror. In addition to this a couple of specially trained apes such
as Coco the gorillas have been taught to express thoughts, feelings,
and emotions. Apes like Coco have been taught to use sign-language
and lexigrams which are keyboards with symbols that apes can use to
communicate and express themselves. Members of the Great Ape family
are proven to have very advanced capabilities in comparison to other
animals. They have the ability to complete difficult and complex
tasks, and in many circumstances innovate tools to meet their needs.
Combining their language and cognitive capacities apes are able to
match the abilities of a two year old human. While it would never be
considered morally permissible to perform medical experiments on two
year old human infants, why then is okay to experiment on apes with
the same capabilities?
Other animals must be entered into this equation besides the Great
Ape family, each of which have their own level of capabilities. This
brings into account the argument of marginal cases which compares
and contrasts different species in an attempt to rank them on a
capability spectrum. Take for example a severally mentally
challenged human being, this individual is not self-aware, is not
conscious, and has very limited if any capabilities. Compare this
human to a mouse; it is debatable whether the mouse is self-aware,
but it is evident that it is a conscious animal and has
capabilities. The mouse has arguably higher capacities and
capabilities than the severally mentally retarded human. If
scientists decided to keep severally mentally retarded humans in
cages at research facilities and conducted medical experiments on
them there would be an outcry throughout the community. The
scientists performing the experiments would be viewed as monsters
and most likely would be prosecuted for their actions, but nothing
is said in regard to the mouse.
The animals used in medical experiments and scientific research are
not kept in or treated in humane ways, not to mention the cruelty
of the experimentation themselves. In a recent case with Coco the
gorilla the misconduct in treatment is disturbing. “Gorilla
Foundation President Francine Patterson talking to Coco, the
world-famous sign language – speaking gorilla, according to a
lawsuit filed against the foundation. The suit was filed by two
former female employees who said Patterson tired to force them to
show Coco their nipples to satisfy the gorilla’s nipple fetish…”.
Even what may seem to some to be the most noble of scientific
research on animals has shocking repercussions. Looking at another
case, the testing of cosmetic products on animals exemplifies how
unethical medical experiments are on animals. Animals like rabbits
and mice are used to test the effects of different cosmetics; the
animal’s eyes will be pinned open and infected with cosmetic
products are applied. These animals experience a large amount of
pain in this process. It is documented that the rabbits and mice
have gone blind, began to bleed, and even died because of snapping
their necks in attempt to break free from the devices holding them
in place.
According to a national census in Europe in 2003 looking at
different aspects of experimentation performed on animals; it was
found that 61% of the animals experimented on suffered moderate to
very severe discomfort. In the same study, all Dutch establishments
engaged in animal experiments were examined in the study.
Eighty-four establishments in all were found. Thirty-three of those
establishments were various industries testing their products on
animals like that of the cosmetic experiments described before. Only
three of the eighty-four establishments were hospitals and public
health laboratories. In another report from the United Kingdom it
shows that 2,791,781 animals were used in experiments and procedures
2003, this is a 59,069 increase over the 2002 statistics. There was
also a 37% increase in the number of procedures that inflicted
physical trauma on the animals. Only 11% of these animals were able
to be recycled to be used in other experiments.
Animals are creatures experiencing subjects-of-a-life that have an
inherent value. Animals have the right not to be experimented on and
be forced into painful and fatal procedures to which they will not
even benefit. Animals have a right to life that researchers and
scientists are disregarding as less important than another. The most
deadly diseases in the world are not “whole” diseases, meaning that
they take place on the cellular level, thus making whole animals
unnecessary for the research. The chemical make-ups of animals and
humans are very different from one another that the testing of drugs
on animals really only explains the effects on that animal, and can
not be automatically correlated to humans. “species react
differently to the same drug: morphine sedates people but stimulates
cats; aspirin is safe for people but can kill cats, strychnine is
deadly to people but not monkeys, belladonna kills humans yet is
harmless to rabbits”. Advocates for experimentation on animals may
argue that animals, especially mammals are related to humans enough
with similarity to organs and other physical aspects that the
effects of a drug on an animal will likely be the same on a human.
If these animals are acting as replacements or substitutes to humans
because they are so similar it is wrong to use them in
experiments, just as it would be wrong to use a human in such
experiments. A lot of companies that test their products on animals
make their products with chemicals, whose effects on humans are
already known to be safe from their history of use. With this
knowledge it does not seem logical or ethical to continue to subject
animals to these experiments. There are alternative systems
that have been derived from technological advancements that allow
computer programs to test the effects of chemicals and various
products on humans in an artificial setting. In this setting no
animals or humans would be harmed. “Using computers, scientists have
built an accurate working model of a human heart that will allow
researchers to test new treatments electronically before they are
attempted on humans. Computerized “virtual organs” predict how drugs
will be absorbed and metabolized, so drug companies can now test the
effects of substances electronically before ever trying them on a
person”.
There is also an alternative to use human tissue samples and
culture cells to be used in scientific and medical research instead
of animals. These tests are reliable, efficient, and accurate in
their results. In addition to these benefits, using the alternative
methods take less time to complete and are more cost effective. “In
cancer studies, animal tests of a single substance may take four to
eight years and cost $400,000 or more, whereas short-term non-animal
studies cost as little as $200-$4,000 and can be completed in just
days”. All of this research is being conducted based on synthesized
human models so that results can be directly linked to the effects
on living humans. This is far more beneficial to humans than trying
to account for all of the physical and chemical differences that
separate the species.
The argument of whether or not to perform scientific and medical
experiments on animals is one that has clearly passed its ethical
boundaries and is in serious need of reform. Animals are treated and
kept in severally inhumane ways that cause them pain and suffering.
The experimentation on animals has reached a threshold where animals
are being tortured and killed for unnecessary means and in brutal
fashions. These animals, just as humans, have dignity and a
right-to-life that is being taken away from them for an unjust
cause, one in which they do not benefit. Effective alternatives
have been developed allowing scientists and researchers to use
highly sophisticated computer programs and other technologies to
look at cellular structures, in order to analysis the effects of
chemicals and drugs on humans. These new methods are proven to be
more accurate as well as more time and cost efficient. Given all of
this information these conscious and self-aware creatures should not
and can not continue to be exploited for unjust means that are
dated, savage, and ineffective in safeguarding human life.
Example Essay 7: Should animals be used for product/medical testing?
Polio vaccine, heart and lung transplants, cancer, and AIDS
treatments have all been made possible because of animal testing.
Millions and millions of lives have been saved because of these five
treatments alone. Medical animal testing is very important
for the survival of the human race. Some say that it is inhumane,
but the government has set guidelines for the testing of animals
and, if followed, is actually quite ethical. Cosmetic animal
testing, on the other hand, is appalling. Animals should be used for
medical but not cosmetic testing.
Without animal testing there would not be the medical
advances in technology of today. Animals are the closest things that
resemble human life systems like the reproductive and respiratory
systems, and the digestive track. Animal testing is needed to
ensure that medications, vaccines, and surgical procedures are safe
for the public. Without animal testing, sixty million people would
risk death from heart attack, stroke, or kidney failure from lack of
medication to control high blood pressure. Without animal testing
7,500 newborns with jaundice, each year would develop cerebral
palsy, now preventable through phototherapy; and polio would kill or
cripple thousands of unvaccinated children and adults. Without
animal testing millions of dogs, cats, and other pets and farm
animals would have died from anthrax, distemper, feline leukemia,
rabies, and more than 200 other diseases that are now preventable.
The guidelines set up by the government are there to ensure that
scientists performing experiments on animals are doing so without
causing any permanent danger to the animals. The U.S. Department of
Agriculture conducted a survey that said approximately sixty one
percent of animals used in testing suffer no pain, thirty one
percent have their pain relieved with anesthesia, and only about six
percent of all animals experience any pain at all (USDA). These
small numbers of animals who are subjected to painful procedures are
unavoidable to gain medical advances.
Besides medical testing, there is another thing animal testing is
used for, cosmetics. This is ridiculous. By law, most cosmetics are
not even required to be tested. There is no reason that animals
should be subjected to these tests so women can make themselves look
better. Companies should just use ingredients or combinations of
ingredients that have already been proven safe, or use natural
ingredients that are already known to be safe. Unlike medications
and vaccines, cosmetics and perfumes have no scientific value,
therefore should not be tested on animals.
Millions of lives would be lost without animal testing; there
wouldn't be vaccinations and cures for numerous diseases and
sicknesses. The testing is done in controlled environments with
regulations in place to prevent cruelty to the animals being
tested. Testing cosmetics on animals, however, is unnecessary.
Considering all of this, the advantages of animal testing far
outweigh the disadvantages.
