Scientists, medical professionals, and other analysts use animals to develop successful medical treatments and determine the safety and effects of medications as well as other products that are intended for human use. Through animal testing, cures to cancer, anemia, and tuberculosis have been founded as well as the discovery of penicillin and insulin - among other things. Even then, according to a study conducted by the Human Society of the United States, approximately 65% of Americans are against animal testing due to the harm that may be inflicted on the animals being used in the tests. It should be known, though, that although animal testing may be considered cruel and inhumane on behalf of the animals, and there are changes that could be made to the methods that are practiced, there are certain circumstances of higher importance where animal testing has proven to make major positive impacts and is necessary for the long-term wellbeing of our human population.
Animal testing is opposed by such a large number of the American population. However, it is questionable that what these people propose as solutions and alternatives to animal testing would be as effective, in addition to their not being very many. The only current alternatives include test methods where cells are modeled after human cells and computer based simulations where drugs are virtually tested. These methods may be useful but they do not provide the accurate and reliable results that animal testing does, as computers and models are only based off of real cells and are not advanced enough to understand complex human organs. Being that humans and animals share many similar biological characteristics, understanding the biological functions of animals and their reactions to certain drugs and products means understanding the biological functions of humans and how humans would react, therefore advancing scientific knowledge of the human body.
To put it simply, in order to develop effective drugs they must be put through many trial experiments and be reworked until made successful. A crucial step in creating effective medications, such as insulin, a critical discovery that lead to saving many lives of those with diabetes, is by testing them first on real cells and organs. In 1889 a German scientist studying diabetes found that once a dog had his pancreas removed, it got diabetes. This lead to further investigation of what exactly the pancreas’ job was: to produce digestive juices and to produce an unknown substance that regulates sugar glucose throughout the body. They carried out studies where the pancreas of dog A was removed, and dog B’s pancreatic ducts were tied off, stopping the flow of nourishment. Dog A developed diabetes, while dog B only developed minor digestional issues. They later took out dog B’s pancreas as well and filtered the fluids inside, through which they found insulin. They injected the insulin directly into the dog’s veins and found that it’s blood sugar levels dropped drastically and they were able to keep the dog healthy and free of symptoms of diabetes. These long, hard studies that took place over the course of many years perfectly portray the importance of animal research in both advancing scientific knowledge and developing effective medicines to cure potentially lethal diseases. There are many other instances where animal research and testing have contributed to understanding and treating harmful conditions, such as breast cancer, brain injury, childhood leukemia, cystic fibrosis, malaria, multiple sclerosis, and tuberculosis.
Some argue that carrying out these tests on humans, who volunteer to do so, would be safer and more reliable than animals. However, it is simply not feasible under many circumstances. By law, it is considered murder for a human to die by a drug that has not yet been under proper tests, also known as ‘unethical human experimentation.’ Additionally, it would be simply immoral to complete these possibly dangerous experiments on humans when the medications being tested are intended in the first place to make scientific advancement in the human world. Just as a product or medicine for a specific breed of dog wouldn’t be tested on that breed of dog first, products or medicines for humans should not be tested on humans before being released for public consumption.
When thinking about animal testing, people do not focus enough on the major positive impacts that have been made when it comes to expanding scientific knowledge and maintaining a healthy human, and animal, population, as shown with the dog who had been cured of diabetes. However, when it comes to the welfare of the thousands of animals currently being tested on, if the government were to consider implementing laws focused around animal testing it would be most beneficial if they governed how often and under what circumstances it is allowed to be used rather than completely eradicating it.
Works Cited
Carome, M.D. Michael. "Outrage of the Month: A Steady Stream of Unethical Human Experiments." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 02 May 2016. Web.
"Diseases & Research." Animal Research Info. N.p., n.d. Web.
"Medical Benefits." Speaking of Research. N.p., 06 Apr. 2016. Web.
"New Poll Shows Majority of Americans Strongly Oppose Animal Testing for Cosmetics." The Humane Society of the United States. N.p., n.d. Web.
Society, New England Anti-Vivisection. "Animals in Science/Alternatives." In Testing. N.p., n.d. Web.
"The Discovery of Insulin." nobelprize.org. N.p., Feb. 2009. Web.
Why this is my best possible 2fer…
I believe that this is my best 2fer thus far both through my writing and choice of topic. I chose a controversial and popular topic, then went against even my own opinions while writing this 2fer. In doing this, I had to be sure to do ample research to find substantial evidence to back the claims I make, which is something I had struggled with in past 2fers. My arguments were stronger in this 2fer and I think that is even more important with such a controversial topic.
