Researched Argument Part 1 Research Paper Sample

- Euthanasia: Liberating Individuals from Pain and Suffering
- But what exactly are animals? And what makes humans different from other animals such that some humans are sometimes confounded on the morals of putting other humans and domesticated animals to mercy killing? But the latter question seems very difficult to answer since it involves questioning the existence of the higher moral status of humans.
- Perhaps the more clear cut definition of an animal in a biological perspective is that they are biological multicellular entities that belong to Kingdom Animalia. These biological entities are motile to include humans and other organisms of different classes and species.
- Some animals may undergo a process called domestication. Domestication involves the alteration of a genetic component of an organism through selective breeding such that the traits produced from breeding will be for the benefit of humans. It also promotes the dependency of organisms on humans for survival thereby losing their natural instincts to adapt to the wild. Thus, a domesticated species is that which human intervention plays a key role in the evolution of an organism to meet the needs of humanity. These needs for instance involved food, clothing, work support, laboratory testing and companionship (i.e. as pets) (Kareiva et al. 1866-1869).
- More than 20 million of domestic animals are exploited annually for biomedical research. Ninety percent of these animals include mice, rats and other rodents. Other species of domesicated animals that are used for biomedical research include 65,000 dogs, 23,000 cats and 55,000 primates in the U.S. between October 2003 to September 2004 as reported by the U.S. Deparment of Agriculture (American Association for Laboratory Animal Science).
- These animals that are specifically bred for research studies or are supplied by animal breeders are called laboratory animals. These animals are essentially used for testing because their body systems and the type of disease in which they are susceptible into are similar to humans. The results of biomedical research in animals can be applied directly to humans and other animals as well. But not all biomedical research involve animals (American Association for Laboratory Animal Science). However, Ferdowsian and Beck (e24059) proposed the adoption of reduction, refinement and replacement of animal use principle as an alternative for animal testing in biomedical research.
- Euthanasia on a separate note is the "practice of killing or permitting the death of a human being or an animal in a painless way." In this context, euthanasia is the painless killing of humans and domesticated animals. This is to deliberately end the suffering of one from a hopeless health condition or other situations that forces one to promote the mercy killing of an indiviual such as lack of resources to continue to survive (Kure). Thus, animal euthanasia is that humane act of liberating an animal from an incurable disease or any lack of resources to support the survival of domesticated animals and from laboratory testing by way of assisted suicide and painless death.
- The Netherlands is the only country in the world that practice euthanasia or mercy killing of both humans and animals thus far. In the United States however, the legal basis of euthanasia is still under consideration because of the conflicting opinions of both ruling and opposing parties (Chao, Chan and Chan 128-134).
- The humane act of liberating an individual from suffering is a concept that has no universal definition. The word humane is sometimes associated in the context of kindness, compassion and mercy. For example, painless death are employed to deathrow prisoners by injecting poisons in their body as if they are being lulled to sleep. In case of animals used for laboratory testing such as lab rats, pursuant to Cruelty to Animal Act of 1876, this means exposing the test animal in a less distressful condition. Cervical dislocation and carbodioxide poisoning of albino rats both illustrates some methods.
- But it is the idea of suffering that sometimes obscure the definition of euthanasia. The context of suffering differs in values and level. For instance, carbon dioxide are commonly used in euthanasia methods of mice. But the effect of carbon dioxide is still unknown. However, employing further premedication such as isofluorane before the actual process of euthanasia increases behavioral and neuronal stress of mice (Valentine, Williams and Maurer 50-57). Wong, Makowska, and Weary (1000) suggested that sedation of laboratory rodents using isofluorane is less aversive than introducing carbon dioxide to euthanize the animal. This conflicting perception indicates that the degree of pain to call for animal euthanasia is very subjective.
- Besides laboratory testing, another factor that also justifies the act of euthanasia is ending the pain of an individual's suffering from an incurable debilitating disorder. An example of this is a patient suffering from a comatose state in the context of brain death and vegetative state. Brain coma is the onset of most brain injuries (Fine 303-310).
- In all 50 states of U.S. brain death is considered a legal death except when the patient is a Jew in New Jersey and New York because of cultural sensitivity. The person is only considered dead when both lung and heart stops to function. The vegetative state of a brain is different from brain death. Some of the clinical criteria for vegatative state include the lack of interaction or consciousness when awake, comprehension, and production of new sustained voluntary response from external stimuli. To date, none of the attempted methods to reverse the patient from a vegetative state has been made successful (Fine 303-310).
- Euthanasia is that humane practice to liberate these organisms from their suffering. Euthanasia has no universal definition and is sometimes subjective depending on the degree of suffering. The degree of suffering is that scale that justifies the practice. Sedation is one of the common methods that is used to euthanized rodents. Some scientists and bioethicists are at loggerheads because sedation by way of isofluorane is considered inhumane while others consider that the method is probably the most refined way to kill rodents. The fact that it involves the controversial practice of mercy killing of humans and animals makes it indeed a very interesting topic to debate.
- Works Cited
- Chao, D. V. K., N. Y. Chan and W. Y. Chan. "Euthanasia Revisited." Family Practice, 19 (2002): 128-134. Print.
- American Association for Laboratory Animal Science. "Use of Animals in Biomedical Research: Understanding the Issues." Memphis, TN: American Association for Laboratory Animal Science. Web. 11 March 2013. <www.aalas.org>.
- Fine, R. L. "From Quinlan to Schiavo: Medical, Ethical, and Legal Issues in Severe Brain Injury." BUMC Proceedings, 18(2005):303-310. Print.
- Ferdowsian, H.R. and Beck, N. "Ethical and Scientific Considerations Regarding Animal Testing and Research. PLoSONE, 6.9 (2011):e24059. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0024059. Web.
- Kareiva, P., S. Watts, R. McDonald and T. Bouncer. Domesticated Nature: Shaping Landscapes and Ecosystems for Human Welfare. Science, 316.5822(2007): 1866-1869.
- Kure, J. Euthanasia--"The Good Death" Controversy in Humans and Animals. Intech: Rijeka, Croatia, 2011. Print.
- Valentine, H., Williams, W. O. and Maurer, K. J. "Sedation or Inhalant Anesthesia before Euthanasia with CO2 Does Not Reduce Behavioral or Physiologic Signs of Pain and Stress in Mice." Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, 51.1(2012):50-57. Print.
- Wong, D., Makowska, J. I. and Weary, D. M. "Rat Aversion to Isoflurane Versus Carbon Dioxide." Biology Letters, 9(2012):1000. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2012.1000. Web.