ANIMAL TESTING

Animal testing, also known as in vivo testing, is the use of non-human animals in experiments. Worldwide it is estimated that the number of vertebrate animals used annually ranges from the tens of millions to more than 100 million.  Most animals are killed after being used in an experiment.

Mice are generally used in Genetic modification of animals to study diseases. Certain domestic and wild animals have a natural propensity or predisposition for certain conditions that are also found in humans for example cats ,dogs and armadillos are used for study on models of naturally occurring disease and condition.

An interesting point about animal testing that most of us are unaware of (in fact I personally have never heard of) is the concept of Xenotransplantation. It’s basically the process of transplanting tissues or organs from one species to another, as a way to overcome the shortage of human organs for use in organ transplants. What is more amusing is that pigs are generally used for this purpose.

Toxicology tests are used to examine finished products such as pesticides, medications and air freshener, or their chemical ingredients. The substances are applied to the skin or dripped into the eyes. This is the most popularly followed method that most of us have seen. In some cases they are injected or inhaled either by placing a mask over the animals and restraining them, or by placing them in an inhalation chamber. Sometimes it is administered orally, through a tube into the stomach, or simply in the animal's food. Rabbits, rats, mice and several other animals are used.

HARMFUL EFFECTS OF ANIMAL TESTING:

Every year millions of animals are poisoned, blinded, and killed in crude chemical tests being forced to inhale chemicals that are bad to the body. “Studies reveal that drugs that pass animal tests end up harming or killing humans about 61% of the time. Between 25 and 50 billion animals are meaninglessly killed in laboratories each year.50% of the animals used for cosmetic testing, 50% die two to three weeks after being tested.”-Wikipedia

 There are also then cases when animals are unfairly or cruelly treated, Huntington Life Science is a good example of this, the animal testing was not only unethical but it was found that those in the labs were badly treating the animals, such as beating the animals.

ALTERNATIVES TO ANIMAL TESTING:

Scientists and students pursuing medicine can prefer non-animal methods over animal methods whenever it is possible to achieve the same scientific aim. They can also opt for methods that minimize potential pain, suffering or distress, and enhance animal welfare for the animals still used. “Alternative methods include positron emission tomography (PET), which allows scanning of the human brain in vivo and comparative epidemiological studies of disease risk factors among human populations.”- Park book of preventive and social medicine

My views: In many cases when animal testing is done it is done when it is unnecessary. For example it is done even when they know a certain ingredient will kill or harm the animal being tested upon, when testing has already been carried out on the ingredients being tested, when the product is no where near being released. So they put the lives of a large number of animals in stake when it is simply not required eventually affecting our ecosystem. Animal rights, and some animal welfare, organizations question the legitimacy of it, arguing that it is cruel. People say it’s poor scientific practice and medical progress is being held back by misleading animal models, that some of the tests are outdated, that it cannot reliably predict effects in humans. I believe that they have put a valid point forward as animals just like humans have an intrinsic right not to be used for experimentation.