Animal testing is a process in which animals are used to test cosmetics, household products and other chemicals. Animal testing has become an extensively discussed topic since the 1960s when Animal rights activists protested in different ways against Animal Research Centres (ARC). Animal research centers are places where Animal experimentation occurs. Animal tests are also carried out in universities, private companies and hospitals. Animal testing is necessary for scientists to carry out more effective and safe human trials.
Animal testing will enable researchers to test new drugs and therapeutic treatments on animals before they are tested on humans. Animal rights groups say that Animal experiments cause unnecessary suffering and death of the animals while some people believe Animal testing helps in making progress towards saving lives of humans. Disagreement over Animal testing has resulted in fierce debate between Animal rights activists and Animal experimenters, which has also led to violence by animal advocates against animal research centers.
It can be said that both Animal rights activists and Animal experimenters have valid points regarding their views about Animal experimentation. On one hand, Animal research centers defend animal tests saying that it a highly regulated practice governed by strict Animal research policies. Animal experimenters say that Animal tests are necessary to prevent harm, suffering and death of people. Animal testing helps scientists to develop new drugs for humans by first testing the new drug on animals.
Animal rights activists say that Animal experiments are cruel because animals do not have any choice throughout all stages of Animal research including animal breeding, animal transport, housing conditions etc. Animal rights groups also believe that Animals should not be used as a means for inflicting pain upon other species since it violates one of the basic principles in Animal Rights- The Right to Life. However, there is another side to this Defense too.
Animal Experimenters also give reasons why Animal testing is necessary saying that many people believe only minor test are performed on these animals where they are exposed to Animal viruses or Animal bacteria. Animal experimenters also advocate the Animal testing saying that Animal rights groups give wrong information about Animal experiments and they end up innocent animals from being killed. Animal experimenters say that Animal tests include procedures that are performed under anesthesia so as to reduce animal pain and suffering.
Animal testing is a highly debatable topic since it is difficult to decide whether Animal research should continue or not, but one thing can be said for sure- there has been a significant change in the way Animal testing is conducted today as compared to how it was done earlier. There have been changes in Animal research policy as well as technology during the past few decades with an aim of improving conditions under which animals live.
Today, modern technologies such as Computer-aided drug designing, Animal tissue culture and Animal modeling have been introduced to Animal testing which has minimized Animal suffering and death. Animal tests today are humane and more efficient as compared to how Animal testing was done in early years. Animal rights activists should also realize that Animal research centers follow strict Animal research policies for conducting Animal tests which protect animals from unnecessary pain and suffering.
They also call for setting up guidelines by government authorities as well as international organizations such as World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), British Medical Research Council (MRC), etc to ensure that researchers working at various levels of the Animal research ecosystem follow these guidelines while conducting experiments on animals.
Animal testing is not a simple process. Animal experimentation includes studies on toxicity, allergy tests, reproduction studies, and drug trials for many different types of animals including rats, monkeys, mice, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, pigs, cats, dogs, fish (aquatic), amphibians (such as frogs ), lizards, snakes and turtles. Animal experiments are very complex because there are always new factors to think of in order to get accurate results. Animal testing is necessary; however, it has some major downfalls which will be discussed later on in this article.
Animal Testing Pros And Cons The Pros Of Animal Testing Animal experiments had led scientists like Alexander Fleming to the discovery of penicillin. Without animal testing this medicine would not have been discovered. Animal testing has also led to many major advances in the area of medicine over the years, including vaccines for polio, smallpox, measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox and hepatitis. Animal tests are vital because they can be used to discover potential new drugs, treatments and medicines.
Animal testing is important because it helps scientists figure out what animals are at risk for different diseases or illnesses that can then be tested on humans. Animal experiments help make our lives much easier by helping us find cures to serious diseases Animal Testing Cons Animal experimentation has killed countless animals throughout history. The animal experimentation process has failed valuable animals which caused them unnecessary pain and suffering/ The majority of laboratory animals are not counted in official statistics under law ( Animal Welfare Act of 1966 and Animal Welfare Regulations, 1985).
Animal experimentation does not guarantee the safety of any drug. Animal testing is not always accurate when it comes to predicting how humans will react to a product or whether that product is safe for humans. There are many alternatives to animal experiments such as computer simulations (see Pros), cell cultures, and clinical studies with human volunteers. Animal Experimentation Conclusion The pros outweigh the cons when it comes to animal experiments.
Many scientists have found breakthroughs in medical research because of them. Animal testing helps find cures for deadly diseases and makes our lives easier by doing so. However, there should be stronger rules regulating animal tests in order to ensure that all animals being tested on are being treated properly and humanely. Animal testing is an important process that must be done to find cures for deadly diseases. Animal experiments have help the world in many ways, but there are also flaws.
Animal experiments are not always accurate when it comes to predicting how humans will react to a product or whether that product is safe for humans. Animal experimentation can cause animals pain and suffering which is why alternatives should be made more available so that they do not have to go through this. Animal testing has helped scientists discover new drugs, treatments, and medicines that help make our lives much easier by helping us find cures for serious diseases.