People say animals are just another tool placed in the world for the use of the human race, regardless of the consequences on the animal’s part. There are also a few people who argue saying animals are not just a tool for the humans, that they too are living and deserve better treatment. Animal testing is defined as: non-human animals being used in experiments developed for the purpose of discovering the safety levels of chemicals used in foods, drugs, and such. Animal testing is a method that scientists use in order to find how a way to cure a human.
By performing different tests on different animals, scientists are able to determine if techniques such as organ transplants will actually work on humans. Usually scientists infect a living specimen, such as a rat, then try to cure it by conducting experiments on the creature in order to kill the virus within its blood. As for learning organ transplantations they simply choose a larger animal, remove one of its weaker or non-stable organs, then try to replace it to cure the animal. People believe that animals are unable to feel pain.
They think that it feels no discomfort so they either do not give a second thought at the concept of animal testing or do not care since they think there is no harm being done. It is not like they think the animals are under medication the people who have this mindset honestly believe that the animals have no concept of pain. As if their nerve system does not understand how to process the feeling. “The search for alternatives to animal testing in the cosmetics industry enters a critical…” (LaRussa, 1).
To many people when they hear the words “animal testing” they immediately begin to think of the worst situations such as being food deprived, tortured, disciplined severely or similar all for the sake of science. But what people do not realize is that animal testing is an important part in cosmetics to insure the safety of every human that can be spared from pain. Nonliving figures do not provide the necessary information to help scientists insure that the medicines will be safe to use. There’s many arguments whether cosmetics should continue using animal testing or not, but the idea is yet to be ruled out.
Due to public concern over animals, many of the cosmetic labs have begun to ban the idea of using live creatures in their tests and are now looking for alternative ways to determine whether or not a medicine can be labeled as “dangerous” or “safe to use”. As many people know animal testing is just another way that scientist can come up with cures for diseases. Though there will be people who argue that using animals for a reason like that is terrible and inhumane, there are those who believe animals were placed in this world for the advantage of humans.
Today, the vast majority of drugs are safe, in large part because of the rigorous testing process they must go through…” (Watson 4). Such as a time in the 1960’s, when women were getting severely sick due to pregnancy, they would take a medicine called Thalidomide. This drug allowed the pains to ease away during her pregnancy, but what the doctors did not realize is that they had missed something important. While the drug did help, it caused severe problems with the birth of the children either them having no arm or leg.
So as a result of this scientist started testing the medication on animals which brought to light the defaults of the drug. Even though people may think animals do not feel pain the truth is, they can. Scientist have been thought to not care, but they do, and in order to fix this problem they give animals a pain-relieving medicine. So, the animals do not feel as much pain as people originally thought. Instead the pain is lessened, and animals help scientists acquire critical information and in turn the scientists take care of the animals.
Animals that are put to live in labs are used for me information gathering, educational purposes, and also used in training drills. Even though animals are forced to endure such a drastic sacrifice they are not properly thanked for it. Dogs, for a perfect example, these creatures are used to learn how to better technology with organ transplants to have a better outcome. In order to do this, however, animals must be killed after certain tests are performed on its body and some say scientists give no reason as to why the animal has to be killed, but it probably has to do with the guilt.
Another reason that animal testing shouldn’t be a “go-to” experiment is due to DNA problems. Yes, humans and animals may have many similar aspects and DNA patterns, but two different species are not the same. Humans may react to a chemical one way while a lab rat, that’s constantly exposed to chemicals may react in another way. “A suitable alternative to animal testing is to conduct tests on ingredients and finished products in humans under critical observation…” (Curtis, 1) this is known as “the first time in humans” test. This method involves three different steps of classification.
One: is analyzing the ingredients in the product being tested, this step has extremely limited information on what is being used. Two: this step involves scientists having minimum knowledge and data about only the major ingredients that are in the product. Three: this class allows scientist to know and understand all the ingredients that are being used in the product and allows them an exceptional conclusion of what reactions will occur. Scientists have also found another alternative way to avoid using living creatures in their experiments.
One way is removing the skin cells from the test subjects then they can let the animal free after that. Once they are in possession of the skin cell the animal will serve no use, but scientist much rather prefer using the animals and administering them to a constant torment. Of course using an animal is more reassuring, but the use of them is not necessary anymore with the technology humans now have. Using animals for testing has provided to be extremely helpful and effective. Many times testing products on the animals first has saved human lives and helped scientist determine what can be use on or inside of human bodies.
Though animal testing may be seen as cruel and unusual it is thanks to it that many of the people today can live healthy lives. “Rabbits and rats…are noticeably absent from the labs at Hopkins. They are replaced with what scientists hope will be the lab animals of the future-flasks filled with chemically tested fish liver…” (LaRussa 3). Now scientists are using fish livers to experiment on and determine what and why humans can or cannot use a certain product. In few labs the scientist actually do still refuse to use these techniques and prefer to use live creatures seeing as this is more reassuring to them.
