Essay Example on Animal Experimentation

Animal experimentation is a cruel practice. It emotionally and physically harms the animals used. Animal experimentation is terrible and unneeded because there are many alternatives, a lot of results are not the same when applied to humans, and unlike what some people think animals process pain in a way not unlike humans.

Animal experimentation is terrible and unneeded because there are many alternatives to animal experimentation.The text ,Technological Alternatives Can End The Experimental Use of Animals “Take research laboratory CeeTox, for example. They're using human cell-based in vitro (lab grown) models to predict the toxicity of drugs, chemicals, cosmetics, and consumer products—tests that are replacing the need to pump potentially hazardous chemicals into animals' stomachs, lungs, and eyes. Likewise, biotech firm Hurel has developed a lab-grown human liver that can be used to break down chemicals....” The lab grown liver will be more accurate because it is made to be in the perfect conditions for experiments. That way an animals’ way of life can’t affect how a test will perform.  The text ,Technological Alternatives Can End The Experimental Use of Animals”Likewise, the practice of microdosing, where volunteers are given extremely small onetime drug doses, is allowing researchers to work ethically with humans.” This is also another accurate way to do it, animals are a whole different species the results don't  really compare. It is like seeing if a diamond tester works while testing gold. It does not compute or make sense.

Animal experimentation is terrible and unneeded because almost all of the results are not the same when applied to humans.The text The text Results from Research on Animals Are Not Valid When Applied to Humans states, “Acetaminophen, for example, is poisonous to cats but is a therapeutic in humans; penicillin is toxic in guinea pigs but has been an invaluable tool in human medicine; morphine causes hyper-excitement in cats but has a calming effect in human patients; and oral contraceptives prolong blood-clotting times in dogs but increase a human's risk of developing blood clots. Many more such examples exist. Even within the same species, similar disparities can be found among different sexes, breeds, age and weight ranges, and ethnic backgrounds.” If we went by what was safe for animals we would not have half the important medicinal things we need. While there are always variables in any and all experiments there are things you can do to limit those, one of course being to not test on animals. The text, Results from Research on Animals Are Not Valid When Applied to Humans also states, “Nine out of ten drugs that appear promising in animal studies go on to fail in human clinical trials. Indeed, because of the inherent differences between animals and humans, drugs and procedures that work in animals often end up failing in humans. According to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, ‘nine out of ten experimental drugs fail in clinical studies because we cannot accurately predict how they will behave in people based on laboratory and animal studies.’" Only 10% of items that are safe for animals don't fail in humans. That is a very small percentage. We should just humanely test on humans.

Animal experimentation is terrible and unneeded because animals process pain in a similar way to humans. The text Replacements Must Be Found for Animals in Scientific Research states, “The study's authors developed a Mouse Grimace Scale as a measurement tool to help quantify the level of pain experienced by mice. They concluded that when subjected to painful stimuli, mice showed discomfort through facial expressions in the same way humans do.” We have expressions and show our emotions through them. If you are in pain it will most likely be written all over your face. And just about anyone will be able to tell you are in pain. Well some animals are the same way. Mice show their emotions through facial expressions. The text, Replacements Must Be Found for Animals in Scientific Research also states, “Because animals are sentient beings, they share many qualities with humans. For example, animals demonstrate coordinated responses to pain and many emotional states similar to those of humans. Further, the structures and neuroendocrine mechanisms associated with certain psychiatric conditions are shared across a wide range of animals.” Animals all can feel and respond to pain, whether or not they can  speak they can still communicate their feelings. It can be through facial expressions, actions, or using their voice. 

Instead of harming animals we should just use lab made alternatives or microdose humans. Animal experimentation costs lives. They may not be human but they are sentient beings with personalities and feelings.

Citations:

"Results from Research on Animals Are Not Valid When Applied to Humans." Scientific Research, edited by Sylvia Engdahl, Greenhaven Press, 2015. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010948221/OVIC?u=rome58678&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=54994ce1. Accessed 21 Apr. 2022. Originally published as "Problems with Animal Research," www.aavs.org.

Ferdowsian, Hope. "Replacements Must Be Found for Animals in Scientific Research." Scientific Research, edited by Sylvia Engdahl, Greenhaven Press, 2015. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010948225/OVIC?u=rome58678&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=325a0a49. Accessed 21 Apr. 2022. Originally published as "Animal Research: Why We Need Alternatives," Chronicle.com, 7 Nov. 2010.

Dvorsky, George. "Technological Alternatives Can End the Experimental Use of Animals." Scientific Research, edited by Sylvia Engdahl, Greenhaven Press, 2015. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010948227/OVIC?u=rome58678&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=a9822f42. Accessed 21 Apr. 2022. Originally published as "Can Technology Help Us Put an End to Animal Experimentation?" io9.com, 5 Sept. 2012.