WHY ANIMAL TESING IS NECESSARY

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WHY ANIMAL TESING IS NECESSARY

Animal testing is the use of animals as test subjects during experiments. The experiment can be of various kinds depending on what is being investigated. Animal testing is not a new concept in society. It can be dated back to 500 B.C in ancient Greek. Animal testing has been used for centuries to acquire more knowledge on living organisms and has also been standard practice in learning and practicing medicine and biology. There has emerged a heated debate as to whether animal testing should be allowed or not. Unlike in the past centuries, there are now laws that protect animals against unjust and cruel treatment. Those that want animal testing abolished have raised questions as to whether animals have to be used during the experiments. Those that are for the testing say that the testing is necessary as there is no other better alternative to human testing other than animals. I for one believe that animal testing is necessary but has to be conducted in a manner and only when necessary. Some tests can be conducted without the use of animals while others can’t. There are several reasons I believe that animal testing is necessary.

Animal testing has led to significant advancement in the medical field. It is an essential component in the medical research field. Medical research especially, when developing drugs, cures, and vaccines for diseases can be dangerous. Testing on animals that have similar biological settings like humans provides room for pre-testing before the drug is administered to humans. Such experiments have been done in the past and have aided human society in dealing with diseases and infections of various kinds. A good example is the polio vaccine that is recommended to be administered to every child. As a result of the acquisition of information and the development of techniques achieved through the use of animals, poliomyelitis is no longer a major threat to health in the United States. (HACKERMAN) Monkeys played a critical role in the tests carried out during the polio vaccine development and in return, numerous lives were saved and continue to be saved.

Although both humans and animals are living creatures, one cannot begin to compare the lives of the two. When it comes to conducting risky tests that may be dangerous and life-threatening it is better to use animals instead of human beings. Animal testing is the best alternative when it comes to studying the biological factors that surround us and also in dangerous testing. We have already established that most vaccines that have been developed were first put through animal testing before being administered to humans and as a result, countless lives are being saved daily. Unless doctors, researchers, and scientists are presented with another alternative that is almost similar to human biology, animals are the best choice they have.

Animal testing has saved millions of animals’ lives too. Animal testing has been instrumental in saving endangered species from extinction, including the black-footed ferret, the California condor, and the Tamarins of Brazil. (“Animal Testing – Pros & Cons – Procon.Org”) There is also the treatment of anthrax, rabies, and feline leukemia, and others that were made possible using animal testing. This testing does not only benefit the human population but also animals. Nowadays is almost mandatory to vaccinate your dogs, especially against rabies.

Evidence shows that in some cases animal testing is necessary, if not done the results can be fatal. In 1937, there was a pharmaceutical company that created a preparation of sulfanilamide, using diethylene glycol (DEG) as a solvent. They named it ‘Elixir Sulfanilamide’. (Hajar) DEG was poisonous to humans however the company was not aware of this. They added raspberry flavor to the sulfa drug and sold the product. The drug led to the deaths of more than a hundred people. The above-mentioned case illustrates the harm to humans from the use of substances that have not been first experimented on animals and emphasize the significance of animal experimentation to prevent human tragedy. (Hajar) Had animal testing been conducted people would not have lost their lives.

Animal testing has also proved to be critical and important when it comes to the manufacture of cosmetics. If testing cosmetics on animals is prohibited, it would be difficult for researchers to make an educated guess about the safety of these products. (Miller) Cosmetic products are made out of chemical products. Many of these chemical ingredients are harmful to humans in their raw form. The only way to ensure that the created product is safe for human use is through animal testing. The same applies to foods, drugs and anything that comes into contact or ingested by humans.

In conclusion, animal testing is necessary. It prevents the unnecessary loss of human lives and also forms the basis of medical research. Through animal testing, we have been able to save millions of lives of both humans and animals. Medical advancement is critical to the survival of our species and those of others and it is only through animal testing that proper advancement and experiments can be conducted.   

WORKS CITED

“Animal Testing – Pros & Cons – Procon.Org”. Animal Testing, 2020, https://animal-testing.procon.org/.

HACKERMAN, NORMAN. Use Of Laboratory Animals In Biomedical And Behavioral Research. National Academies Press, 1988.

Hajar, Rachel. “Animal Testing And Medicine”. Heart Views, vol 12, no. 1, 2011, p. 42. Medknow, doi:10.4103/1995-705x.81548.

Miller, Keith. “12 Advantages And Disadvantages Of Animal Testing On Cosmetics”. Futureofworking.Com, 2022, https://futureofworking.com/12-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-animal-testing-on-cosmetics/.