Animal research is inevitable in the present world as we seek to make advances in the development of medicine and improvement of human health. I support the use of animals in research albeit in very considerate and humane ways, with specific avoidance of torture of the animals or break the laws governing animal handling. This point of view is informed by the readings of this assignment. There are indeed many ethical issues that are associated with the use of animals in research. That notwithstanding, there are also several benefits of using the animals in the research and hence the practice cannot be entirely disregarded or stopped.
Animals can be used in research which if carried out on humans would be harmful i.e. only when necessary (Flecknell, 2002). However, this may not be the sole reason as it is evidently clear from the writing of this author that it would be a lesser evil to research using an animal than using a human being. At the same time, the adverse effects on the animals should be kept as low as possible. It is worth noting that there are characteristics that are possessed by particular animals that cannot possibly found in humans or even the other animals. For example, the frog is the most preferred animal in determining the fundamental muscle physiology whose results have been used in defining modern physical therapy and treatment of muscles. This is because it has a long muscle survival capability in vitro that is not possible in other animals (Lutz & Lieber, 2000).
The advancement of technology like the Functional magnetic resonance imaging or the functional MRI, which is abbreviated as fMRI, (Huettel et al, 2009) cannot possibly render animal research obsolete. However, this technology will have the effect of reducing the demand for the use animal research. This because there are some researches that may not be possible through the use the technology available today. The possible adverse effects of employing this technology on human beings may also mean that the use of animals would be better used than humans.
There are several risks that accompany neuroimaging. The most outstanding is claustrophobia; the fear of being enclosed in one place. This has to be well articulated before and during the research to make the person comfortable. Metals on the body like earrings, necklaces, rings etc. that have been reported to cause tingling during the research must be removed from the body (Huettel, S. A., Song, A. W. and McCarthy, G. 2009, pp. 50-52) further research need to be carried out to ensure that the effects of the magnetic fields created to the human being are established, and solutions found.
References
Lutz, G. J. & Lieber, R. L. (2000) “Myosin isoforms in anuran skeletal muscle: Their influence on contractile properties and in vivo muscle function". Microscopy Research and Technique (6): 443–457.
Huettel, S. A., Song, A. W. & McCarthy, G. (2009).Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (2ed.), Boston, MA: Sinauer.
Flecknell P (2002). "Replacement, reduction and refinement". ALTEX 19(2):73-8.
P
