Features of Using Animals for Medical Research - Essay Example

Introduction The use of the animal is among the research models used by medical researchers and scientists to research on medical health problems, which affects animals besides humans. These animal models are important in experimenting and assuring the safety of medical treatments. The use of animals for medical research exposes animals to sufferings, which is not contested significantly in most cases. The magnitude of the sufferings the animals undergo during the medical research, however, is a severely contested issue. There are divergent opinions on the use of animals for medical research. Other alternative models of medical research exist. The use of animals for medical research is explored in detail. Arguments In Support of Animal Use for Medical Research It is of considerable importance for the scientists and medical researchers to understand as well as comprehend first the health issues and challenges under research. The medical researchers ought to develop proper methods of solving the medical and health problems affecting humans and animals. Certain diseases and health issues studied by the medical researchers require living organisms only for their study and experimentation. Clinical research models involving humans are not applicable in some medical research dependent on using living organisms only. The use of humans may be considered unethical and impractical in such instances (American Physiological Society). A scientist can, thus, appropriately kill or use animals for medical research reasons. Animals used in medical research are similar to humans biologically. Just like humans, animals are predisposed to several similar health issues. Medical research and experimentations often take long periods across generations to draw conclusive observations and findings. The life-cycles of animals are shorter than for humans. Further, the medical research and experimentations require the scientists and the researchers to control or manage the environment under which the model operates, such as diet consumption, lighting, and temperature. It is much easier to control or manage the environmental factors in medical or scientific research using animal models, unlike the clinical models. It is also inappropriate to expose humans intentionally to the health risks because of observing the disease causes and finding treatment (American Physiological Society). Animals can, therefore, be exposed to medical risks through research and experiments. The health risks in these experiments can also kill the animals. Animal models are significant for the process of medical research. The medical progress witnessed presently across the world could not have been achieved were it not for the use of animal models. Animal research and experiments are closely associated with the medical treatments and drugs that humans receive. Some medical and scientific research cannot be achieved solely through the use of alternative research models or tissue cultures. The whole-body research cannot be accomplished through the use of computer modeling strategies. The computed models rely primarily on the collected animal data for their functions (Alters 588). Having these reasons, scientists are justified to kill or use animals for medical purposes. Medical research using animal models should continue because of the potential of these experimental studies to combat the unsolved medical health issues, such as cancer and AIDS among other neurological, genetic and psychiatric disorders. Animal models have contributed largely to the medical knowledge across the globe. The costs of using alternative medical models and methods in research are higher than using animal models. Without the use of animal models, multiple ongoing medical researches will be severely hampered (Brooman 113). The use of animals in scientific researches should be collectively supported to advance medical knowledge. The use of alternative medical research models does not provide suitable opportunities for research on pathological, therapeutic and physiological processes like animal models do. Much fundamental research on these areas heavily relies on animal experimentation. Developments in animal experimentation continually provide the medical world with an important foundation for use in other alternative research methods (Brooman 116). It is justified for scientists to use animals in their medical research. This may include killing the animals for the same purpose. The comprehensive pieces of legislation governing the use of animal models in research should be conformed to by the researchers. The scientists and medical researchers involved in such procedures must demonstrate respect for animal life. Animals should be used only in extremely important procedures. Besides, the animals used must be treated as humanely as possible. Upon realizing that the alternative methods proved reliable in medical research, scientists and researchers should adopt those methods or models (Brooman 116). Animal models should be purposely used in essential researches and may be killed if necessary. The new techniques involved in medical research using animal models have minimized considerably the population of animals used in these projects. Over the past three decades, the number of animals used in medical researches has almost halved. Globally, there is a consensus that animal models are still indispensable for medical progress. It is only an aspect of several techniques and methods used. They are mostly used in researches that have no alternative methods and models (University of Oxford). Animal use for medical research purposes is not inappropriate. Arguments against Animal Use for Medical Research The medical research involving the use of animals is primarily of importance in developing new drugs and medical procedures to resolve health problems. Alternative research models and methods devoid of using animals exist, and can be used by medical researchers to develop the regimens and medical procedures (American Physiological Society). Consequently, animals should neither be killed nor be used in medical experiments and research. According to animal rights groups, all species of animals are equal. The groups argue that not any animal ought to be used in a research experiment. Animals should not be used in experiments, including medical research, for human gain and benefits. The group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) states that animals have some rights and should not be eaten, used for entertainment or experimented on (Alters 588). Animals used in medical research qualify for these rights and should therefore not be used or even be killed. Medical researchers and scientists need to choose the kind of animals to use in their research and experiments. The animals used for these purposes should not be exposed to unnecessary sufferings. No regulations control to govern the treatment of animals as research models. Regulations are offered by the governmental agencies on the procedures to adhere to when using animal models in research (Alters 588). Animals ought not to be killed for use in medical research. Animals have been of immense importance for the development of therapies for treating cardiovascular problems and other deadly ailments besides the anesthetics used in surgery. In contrast, the animal rights groups dissent with this opinion. They submit that medical and scientific research can be improved and developed through the use of human studies in addition to the use of animals. This implies that animals should not be used for medical research, and must not be killed for this purpose (Alters 589). The animals should be protected and their right to live be supported. The desire for knowledge, though fundamental, should not be used to deny the animals the right to life. It is the moral obligation of the government to protect the animals from risks exposed to them in scientific and medical researches. The right to knowledge should be exercised legally and must not be regarded above the right to life (Brooman 117). The animals must not be exposed to cruelty with the justification of obtaining knowledge. Animals ought not to be killed for conducting medical as well as scientific researches. Regardless of the immense contributions that the use of animals for medical research has made in improving the human and animal wellbeing, several alternatives remain fully exploited to ascertain their suitability. The medical researchers may fail to pay much attention to the alternatives (Brooma 118n). As a result, animals should not be used for medical research and hence should not also be killed. According to McCarthy, it is important to use animals for medical research reasons. Animal experimentations are essential for some types of medical researches. The animals used in such projects should not be killed. The experiments must never be used as excuses for exposing the animals to sufferings or death. If they must be killed, it should be done more humanely. (p. 727) Conclusion The arguments exposed to the subject are diverse. A group of considerate individuals feels that it is important to use animals and not to treat them in an inhumane way. The opponents detest the practice because it lacks moral reasoning. The proponents argued that it was of benefit to both animals and humans. The moral arguments are explored and the conflicting positions revealed in using animals as the only alternative in essential procedures without appropriate substitutes currently. There is an increasing and active need from the animal rights groups to find alternatives for use in medical experiments. The use of animals is immensely accepted and supported because of the legislative regulations guiding the process, and the benefits that animal models have helped to achieve in medical knowledge. The use of animals for scientific research has been worthwhile for both animal and human health. The health knowledge and levels have advanced, which would not have been so with the absence of using animal models. The use of animal health is encouraged and supported under the guide of continual efforts to minimize, refine and replace their use in experimentation. Works Cited Alters, Sandra. Biology: Understanding Life. Sudbury: Jones and Barlette, 1999. Print. American Physiological Society . Why do scientists use animals in research? . n.d. Web. 9 August 2012. Brooman, Simon. Law Relating To Animals. Cavendish Publishing, 1997. Print. McCarthy, Claire. "Dog Lab." n.d. Web. 9 August 2012. University of Oxford. Research using animals: an overview. 28 November 11. Web. 9 August 2012. Read More