God has created all creatures. It is amazing to discover that each creature is unique in its own sense and does not resemble the other creature completely. The various creatures on earth, including plants and animals differ greatly from each other on the basis of their outer morphology and inner anatomy. Humans are considered the most intelligent creatures on earth and they utilize animals extensively for research and development of inventions that may benefit the mankind in the future.
It is estimated that nearly 26 million animals are used everyday for scientific and commercial testing in the USA . The benefits of using animals for research include medical treatments, determination of the toxicity and harmful effects of medicines, to check if the researched medicines are fit for human use and for other commercial uses such as testing of beauty and skin care products . It is an important point to consider that “Should animals be used for research?” and is the main thesis statement for the current essay.
History is witness to the fact that humans have always considered the use of animals through ethical and unethical means to conduct scientific trials to give wings to human imagination and discovery. Be it the use of sheep to develop the art of cloning in animals that inspired the Scottish scientists to develop a series of cloning animals – Dolly, Molly and Polly that was a pioneering achievement in the field of genetics or the use of apes and monkeys in testing vaccines, animals have always served the needs of mankind in one way or the other.
Animal rights activists in different parts of the world have always opposed the idea of including animals for scientific research as they consider it to be a great cruelty on the part of animals that are subjected to experimental medicines that may have a devastating impact on their bodies. However, it is important to note that nearly 95 percent of the animals currently used in scientific research are not protected by the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) that excludes animals such as rats, birds and mice and fishes and reptiles that are specially bred for research purpose . This exclusion has been specifically made to address the demands of the scientific research domain that is considered essential for the development of treatment of many diseases that continue to haunt mankind even today.
Animal rights activists may be justified in their approach to as human activities have influenced and adversely affected the survival of animals on earth. Human activities have been the prime reason for the extinction of certain species of animals on earth. The extinction of the Dodo bird from Mauritius is largely attributed to the human activities. In view of the decreasing population of various animals, it is essential to protect the animals from harmful research procedures that may limit their population and may be a leading cause of deaths of animals. It is important to address the concerns so as to follow a balanced approach towards scientific research with animals.
Humans continue to search for treatment of diseases such as cancer that are the leading cause of death all over the world. The impact of cancer on human society is so negative that it is sometimes considered synonymous with a death sentence. Breast cancer is today the most common types of cancer in both developed and developing countries in the world . The contribution of animals in breast cancer research are strong contenders to support the thesis statement. The research on breast cancer that involved the development of important drugs such as Tamoxifen and Herceptin that have been landmark drugs in the treatment of breast cancer treatment have all been based on animals that were rats . The physiological changes in the metabolism as a result of the impact of these medicines contributed a great deal in the discovery of these drugs.
The giant leaps in the fields of sciences such as biology, genetics and research are largely based on the use of animals for the first level test trials. It is interesting to note that chimpanzees have 99 percent of their DNA similar to humans and the DNA of mice are 98 percent similar to those of humans . However the experimentation on Chimpanzees is currently allowed only in the USA and Gabon . The high level of similarity in the DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) that is the hereditary material in organisms makes rats and chimpanzees favorable candidates for human research. The activities of the human body are largely governed by DNA and therefore an analysis of the impact of medicines that usually act at the molecular and cellular level can be easily identified through animal research.
It is important to know that nearly every Nobel laureate in research has his findings based on animal research . In addition to rats and monkeys, snakes and dolphins are also used for scientific research. As a result of the research on animals, the cancer survivor rates continue to rise in the various parts of the world and smallpox has been virtually eradicated from the different parts of the world .
Snakes are usually considered one of the most dangerous animals on earth due to their poisonous bites that have the capacity to kill an organism within minutes or seconds after the bite. However, snake venom has been an important source of medicinal drugs for making antidotes for certain kinds of poisons and for other medicinal uses. According to recent research reports, a deadly Australian snake venom is being used to develop a new and innovative product to speeding up blood test results for critically ill patients . The innovation has reduced the blood testing time from 30 minutes to nearly 10 minutes . Another research in the field of cancer research has indicated the role of snake venoms in successfully paralyzing cancer cells . Contortrostatin protein found in snake venom has the capability to inhibit cancer cell migration . The neurotoxins present in the snake venoms is being used for the treatment of diseases such as brain injuries, strokes, or Alzheimer’s disease and may even help in the treatment of heart attacks and blood disorders . The discovery of the drug Aggrastat, also known as a “super aspirin” in the year 1998 is based on snake venom research that plays an important role in preventing blood clots . Research studies are still going on to assess the uses of snake venom for human medicines. It is anticipated that cobra venom may provide a viable cure for Parkinson’s disease .
The dolphins have larger brains in comparison to their body sizes, a similarity that they share with human bodies . It is said that bottlenose dolphins have the ability to switch on and off type 2 diabetes unlike humans . The discovery of this evolutionary adaptation in dolphins may help the scientists in their future research on developing a possible cure for type 2 diabetes.
The research on primates (monkeys) remains embedded in a high level of controversy and has been the subject of various animal protection organizations for the past 20 years. According to the latest regulations, the use of primates for research is permitted only in the circumstances where other animals may not be available for research purpose . The use of monkeys in scientific research has been limited over the past few years, but they have been useful in the development of cures through polio vaccine, life support systems for premature babies and deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease . The role of primates in the research for HIV AIDS vaccine remains essential. The monkeys are the most preferred animals for the test of vaccines as they share a large similarity to humans. Humans also belong to the same group primates as the monkeys.
The use of animals in research may be justified on the basis of the potential advantages of the human society in the form of important medicine trials that have contributed in increasing the longevity of humans to a great extent. Various animals are an effective medium for the testing of complex medicines that may be considered unsafe for direct trials on the human body. The medicines that are found to be suitable as a result of their action on the bodies of animals are then later considered for trials on humans. One such example is the case of a breast cancer vaccine that was initially tested in animals and found to be effective in the treatment of breast cancer in animals, The vaccine has now been approved for human trials and shall be tested in patients suffering from breast cancer. The vaccine is certainly a new hope of relief for millions of breast cancer patients living in the different parts of the world. Animal trials have contributed to the discovery of iconic drugs such as Herceptin that has transformed the life of many cancer survivors.
However, concerns are being raised about the harmful impact of research, medicines and drugs on the bodies of animals. There are also concerns about the storage conditions for laboratory testing animals. Various laws have been formed prohibiting the use of primates in research so as to protect the rights of animals. However, few animals such as rats and snakes continue to be utilized for scientific research due to the benefits of scientific research in devising cures for the welfare of the mankind.
In view of the various arguments presented in the current document, it may be justified to say that animals should be used for research. It is because of the existence of animals on earth that humans are able to conduct scientific experiments and advance in the field of science and technology.
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