The use of animals in research and its ethical consideration/ point of view - Essay Example

? Topic: The use of animals in research and its ethical consideration/ point of view. Starting with your first middle and last name Your institutional affiliation Experimental animals play a very significant role in both pure and applied research. Animals have helped in evaluation of new drugs, in production of therapeutic substances such as snake anti-venom and monoclonal antibodies among other compounds. The end result of their use has been improved health standards. The controversial point of discussing will be on pain and suffering they go through during research. This is the point of contention in this research as many people including scientists have different opinions on this topic. The position I will take in regard to their use in research is that their usage is ethical and it should be morally justified as it has lead to numerous advances in science. In response to opposing views in this research, I will seek to provide substantial information on the benefits of using them in research and also discuss the discoveries achieved which otherwise would not have been made. I will also discuss the contagious issues facing animal use in research. Organizational method Reductio ad absurdum will be the best method to use. This mode of argumentation is very important as it establishes a contention by deriving an absurdity from its denial (Rescher, 2005 ; Lee, 1973).Using this method I will provide the benefits of doing research using animals and try to show how it has benefited many and improved our lives.I will also provide evidence to back up my arguments and then make a logical conclusions based on these arguments. Outline Introduction The back ground information should include a brief historical perspective on use of animal models in scientific research. Animals have been used for decades in experiments as evident from Greek writings (animal experimentation). The benefits of using experimental animals are numerous. Generally living organisms provide an alternative, dynamic system that allows us to observe and do experimental manipulations on them so as to investigate mechanisms of normal functions and disease. This is the rationale behind their use. Animal models constitute an important component and therefore play an indispensable role in scientific research. Today more lives have been saved; there are improved human health standards, increased productivity in livestock due to researches involving animals. Examples of animals (species) used are; mice, rats, insects, rabbits, sea slugs, fruit flies. In genetics for example the major breakthroughs achieved were made possible through studies involving fruit fly Drosophila spp (Black, 2001) Body There are many types of research in which animals have been used. For example, animal have been used in basic or pure research in understanding embryogenesis and developmental biology. In genetics and evolution, animals have led to better understanding of the behavior of organisms in their environment. In applied research which focuses on solving current problems affecting the society like finding cure of certain diseases, animals have been used to understand disease conditions and to conduct pre-clinical trials. Animals have been used in genetic modulations in order to study diseases, they are used to obtain xenografts for transplantation, they have been used in drug testing for toxicology, for metabolism and efficacy tests, cosmetic testing, in education and in breeding. Last but not least animals have been used to produce monoclonal antibodies. On the other hand, there are many ethical questions in regard to use of animals in scientific research. These are issues pertaining pain and suffering as proposed by Tom Regan and others, moral issues on the use of xenografts due to religions and personal beliefs, experiment discomfort, introduction of pathogens to the field and humanists point of view (Larry, 2004). An example of a major case that has drawn attention both in beneficial scientific research and where there have been allegations of ethical violations is; Are there threats to researchers by animal activists? .There are many animal activists such as animal liberation front which fight for animal rights and therefore their views should be heard to avoid future challenges. There are guidelines governing the use of animals in scientific research. These are regulations and protocols which should be strictly followed (A guide for the care and use of laboratory animals, 1996). The use of animal models in scientific research is justified as the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. The use of animals in scientific research is almost inevitable and can be morally justified. Without the use of animals in research there would be many severe consequences in the health sector. Today there are mortalities and morbidities due to diseases such as cancer, Alzhelmers disease, Parkinson’s disease and heart failure. Due to the value of human life, the use of animals in research should be justified as major breakthrough can be achieved to alleviate these life threatening conditions and consequently reduce DALYS and mortalities. Various alternatives to use of animals in research can be adopted. Before they can be adopted, there are certain things that can be done. First there should be proper understanding and explanation of validity of each model used, understanding of regulations, connections and acceptable practices regarding the use of animals in research. Secondly replacement, refinement and reduction can also be adopted. Replacement here involves the use of cell cultures instead of whole animals, use of computer models for simulation purposes, studying human volunteers and use of epidemiological studies (animal experimentation). Reduction is particularly important in situations where the use of animals can not be entirely avoided. Reduction can be achieved through use of analgesics and anesthesia, proper handling of animals, accessing the effects of each substance on animals (Cohon, 2010) Medical advances made without use of animals in experiments. There are indeed some advances which have been achieved without the use of animal.eg scurvy, small pox, and most recently Helmlich maneuver which was discovered without “vivisection” and it has saved many people. Studying human population has also led to discovery of the link between heart failure and cholesterol. Conclusion Though animals goes through pain and suffering in research, the benefits obtained from these researches outweighs the pain and suffering they go through and their use therefore should be morally and ethically justified as some of these break throughs could not have been achieved without their use. References “Animal experimentation" (n.d.). Retrieved Oct.25, 2011 A guide for the care and use of laboratory animals. (1996). Washington DC: National academy press.Retrieved Oct. 25, 2011, from http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=5140 Black, E. C. (2001). Drosophila melanogaster.The fruit fly. U.S.A: Fitzroy Dearborn. Cohon, M. (2010, Aug 26). Alternatives to animal testing gaining ground. The baltimoree sun . Larry, C. (2004). what animals want. Oxford university press.p26. Lee, J. (1973). The form of reduced absurdum. Notre Dame journal of Formal logic ,Vol.14, 381-386. Rescher, N. (2005, May 1st). Internet encyclopedia of philosophy. Retrieved Oct 25, 2011, from The use of non human animals in research. (2004). A guide to scientists.The royal society. p.1. Read More