animal experimentation is a highly controversial subject throughout the world and in the 20th century the public has become increasingly aware of the two sides to animal testing. The earliest dated animal testing can be traced back to 384-322 BCE and it is still a common practice to this day. There are a few disagreements that are highly debated about animal experimentation such as the importance of the testing for scientific and medical goals, the suffering of the animals, and the ethical principles that apply to animals. Both sides of animal experimentation have their reasons and facts for why animal testing is ethical or unethical, but it comes down to the amount of pain the animals suffers and if it is morally correct.
Many people argue that animal testing is morally correct because it is necessary in order for science to evolve and to protect human health. Psychologist like Ivan Pavlov and Harry Harlow used animal testing and discovered critical knowledge of development and the human brain. Without these animal experimentations, a lot would still be unanswered about the way the human brain functions. The Institute for Laboratory Animal Research of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences thinks virtually every medical achievement in the 20th century has had to use animal testing in some form. This is because even with all the highly sophisticated technology, nothing can model the exact interactions between molecules, cells, tissues, organs, and organisms, which makes animal testing a necessity in many cases. Suppporters of animal testing say that these advances are critical, and that without animal test subjects the advances would not occur, would require human testing, or would result in untested products being offered to the public without being fully researched.
The Term Paper on Animal Testing 5
Animal testing is used for many products worldwide. Also animal testing is used for a wide range of things, such as items in houses and medicines. Many places test on animals, such as private facilities, universities, and government laboratories. A big debate in today’s society is whether or not scientist should use animals for testing. Most of the animals die during or after the testing. Typing ...
Opposite of what The Institute for Laboratory Animal Research of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences thinks, organizations such as PETA and BUAV think that medical progress is actually being held back by misleading animal models, that some of the experiments are out of date, and that animal testing cannot predict effects in humans. Further, opponents to animal testing also argue that using animal for testing such as for beauty products causes the animals suffering without providing medical benefits and that beauty products are a materialist item that should not be developed at the expense of animals. The amount of pain an animal suffers is something that people who oppose animal testing are always concerned about, but pro animal testers ensure that the animal suffers minimal pain. Jonathan Wolff, the writer of Pro and Con Positions Oversimplify Animal Experimentation Issues states, “The animal is then cut open and pinned out on the bench.
Electrodes are placed to detect such things as changes in blood pressure or kidney function…When the procedure is completed, the dose of anesthetic is increased to bring about a ‘humane endpoint’, that is, a painless death”. This is an example of humane animal testing where the animal experiences no pain and does not suffer. People against animal testing argue that animal testing does cause great pain to the animal. Beauty products put on animals can often cause allergic reactions that cause the animal to be in pain and discomfort. Most animals that are used for experimentation are kept in small cages for most of the day, only to be taken out to be experimented on. Living in cages can especially be damaging to intelligent animals like cats, dogs, and primates who can become extremely lonely and bored.
The Research paper on Animal Testing 4
... that have improved human quality of life. Advocates of animal testing say that the benefits far outweigh the costs. Using animals in experimentation has led ... other animals in the future. Firstly, animals shouldn’t be used in different experiments because of the unnecessary pain that people do to them. Animals are ...
While supporters of animal testing do not see these as ethical issues, animal rights activists such as PETA and BUAV question the legitimacy of animal testing and see it as cruel to the animals. Some people argue that animals have rights and we as humans do not ethically have the right to use animals for experiments. The living conditions these animals have to live in are also unethical especially because they have no say in what happens to them. The most ethically disturbing part of animal testing is that the rights of the animal are taken away. These animals do not have any understanding of, or control over what happens to them and it is up to the humans to conduct experiments in a way that does not causes animals pain or leads to their death.
My opinion on animal experimentation is that it is morally unethical to test on animals. Although I understand that it is the best way to get answers medically, that does not make it morally right. These animals have rights just like humans and their rights deserve to be protected. If animal testing is necessary, than the animal should not be confined and isolated in a cage all day and they should experience absolutely no pain what so ever. If an experiment is going to cause pain to the animal and the experimenters are aware of it, then they should not perform that experiment on a living creature. Animals have a brain and feelings; they know what is going on around them. There have been reports of animals ripping off their fur and skin because they are so stressed out due to the experiments, which to me, sounds completely horrible. In this century researchers should be able to find new ways of experimentation that does not involve living, breathing animals and which could end up in tests that more accurately reflect might happen to a human.
