AnimalExperimentation

MorganPotoski
Mr.Heugh
3815
6thHour


Outline

I.

Introduction
A.Hook
B.Backgroundinformation
C.Thesisstatement

II.

EffectsonAnimals
A.Animalsthatareused
B.Whathappenstothem
1. Sideeffects
2. Whyitsinhumane

III.

IV.

V.

RiskstoPeople
A.Dangersanddifficulties
1.Effects
2.Misleadinginformation
B.Pastdifficulties
1.Typesofdrugs/medicines
2.Howmanypeoplewereaffected
Alternatives
A.Differentmodels
1.Computermodels
2.Other
B.OpposingPerspectives

Conclusion
A.Views
B.Futureofanimaltesting

SearchStory

Everyyear,severalmillionthinking,feelinganimalssufferastheybecomenothingmore
thansomethingusedinanexperiment.Thisisntfair.Animals,whoaresupposedtobefreeand
leftalonebyhumans,areforcedintoalifetimeofsufferingandpain.Theyarentgivenachoice
andwillneverbeabletoexperiencethenormallifethattheydeserve.Animalexperimentationis
unnecessaryandinhumanetoanimals.
Ivealwayslovedanimals,nottomentionIhaveacoupleofpets.SowhenIhadto
chooseatopictoresearchabout,IchoseonethatIfeltstronglyaboutanimalexperimentation.
BecauseIwassomotivated,IdidnthesitatetofindasmuchreliablesourcesasIcouldtohelp
mewritemyresearchpaper.SoonenoughIdcollectedeightarticles,oneofwhichwasntthe
best.Tofixthatproblem,Iprintedoutafewmoretoreplaceit.Thosesourcesturnedouttobe
extremelyhelpfultowardsmyresearch.Finally,afterfindingtwomoreonlinesources,Ihad
enoughinformationforallofmyfactnotecards.BythenIdcomeupwithadecentworking
outline,soallofmyinformationcouldeasilybeputintoacategory.NotlongafterthatIhad
oversixtynotecards,whichwasovertheexpectations.TheonlythingIstillhadtodowas
completeapollprocessthatwouldbeaddedtomypaper.Ihadtoasktenpeoplefivedifferent
questionsthathadtodowithmytopic.Itwasntdifficultforthemostpart,exceptthatIhad
troubleaskingteachersbecausewehadalmosthadanentireweekoffofschoolbecauseofcold
days.Instead,Ijustemailedthemandthatproblemwassolved.Also,Ihadtochangemy
questionsabit.AfewdaysbeforeitwasdueIcompletedthepoll.Iwasallcaughtupafterthat,
sotherestoftheresearchwentsmoothly.

PollProcess
Ihadtochoosebetweenconductinganintervieworapoll.Ichosetodoapollbecauseof
afewreasons.Onewasbecausethereweresomanysnowdays,soitwouldvebeendifficultto
setupaninterviewduringthosedays.AnotherwasbecauseIcouldntfindanyonewhowouldbe
willingtobeincludedinaninterview.So,Idecidedtoconductapoll.Iconductedthepollto
findoutotherpeoplesopinionsonanimalexperimentationandhownecessaryitis.Iaskedten
peoplethreeteachers,friends,andfamilymembers,andonefamilyfriendfivequestions
revolvingaroundanimaltesting.Iaskedmostofthemfacetoface,butIhadtoemailmy
teacherssincetherewasnotimetopollthemduringthedaysofffromschool.EventhoughIhad
sometroubleconductingthepoll,myresultswereuseful.ThepeopleIpolledhadtoanswerwith
agree,disagree,orneutraltoalistofstatements.Myfirststatementwas,Animalsareabused
wronglyinanimalexperimentation.90%ofthepeopleIaskedagreedtothestatement,while
10%decidedtostayneutral.Mostofthemagreedbecausetheythoughtthatanimalsdosuffer
whilebeingexperimentedon.Mysecondstatementwas,Therearealternativesforallanimal
testing.Thistimeonly60%ofthepeopleagreed,30%wereneutral,and10%disagreed.This
showsthatroughlyoverhalfofthepeoplethoughtthatthereareotherwaystotestmedications
andthingsinthatfield.Mythirdstatementwas,Animaltestingshouldbebanned.Thisgotthe
sameresultsasthesecondstatement,althoughdifferentpeopleagreed,disagreed,orstayed
neutral.Myfourthstatementwas,Animalexperimentationisntnecessary.40%ofthepeopleI
polledagreed,30%disagreed,andtheleftover30%wereneutral.Thepeoplewhodisagreed

mostlikelybelievedthatthereisntthatmuchroomforachange,andthatitsnecessaryforthe
growthofthemedicalfield.The40%thatagreedstronglybelievethatanimaltestingcould
switchplaceswithsomethinglessharmfultoalllivingthings.Thisleadsintothefinalstatement,
whichwas,Animaltestingwillstopsomeday.Thistime,40%ofthepeopleansweredwith
disagree,30%agreed,and30%wereneutral.Thosewhochosedisagreemostlikelybelievethat
wecantchangewhatshappeninginthemedicalfield.Mostofthat40%consistedofthepeople
whothinkthatanimaltestingisnecessary.However,therewere30%whothoughtthatitwill
surelychange.Theybelievethatsomeday,wewillfindabetteralternativethatwillchangeour
wayofthinking.

SearchFindings

Animalexperimentationposesmanyeffectstoanimalsofmanykinds.Countlessspecies
ofanimalsareusedduringexperiments.Mostofthetimemiceandratsareused,butguineapigs,
rabbits,cats,dogs,monkeys,birds,pigs,sheep,cattle,reptiles,chickens,horses,andfisharealso
routinelyused(Killing).Usingsomanyinnocentanimalsisinhumane,especiallysincethey
dontdoanythingtodeservethepainthattheygothrough.Someanimalsareforcefed,rubbed
inchemicals,putontohotplates,andevenhavetheirtailsdippedinboilinghotwater(Killing).
Indepressionstudies,miceareplacedinabeakerofwaterfromwhichtheycannotescape,and
monitoredastheymovefromfranticattemptstosavethemselvesfromdrowningtodespair,
defeat,andimmobility(Killing).Itdoesntmakesensehowsomehumanscantoleratedoing
suchhorribledeedstoanimals.ChimpanzeeDNAisabout98%similartohumanDNA

(Harding).Ifitiswrongtoinflictpainonahumanbeing,itisjustaswrongtoinflictpainonan
animal(Animals1).Mostscientistsdontthinktwiceaboutperformingharmfulteststo
animals,evenwhensomeofthemaresocloselyrelatedtopeople.Animalsusedintestsusually
dontreceiveanypainkillersoranestheticsduringtheirprocedures(Harding).Onlyaportion
receivesometypeofpainkiller,unlikehumans,whoalwaysreceivethem.Itisntfairhow
peoplegetspecialtreatmentwhileanimalsaresufferingwithoutanyrelieffrompain.While
animaltestingiscrueltoanimals,theresultsevenendangersomehumans.

Althoughanimalsaretheprimaryvictimtoanimalexperimentation,humanscanalsobe
endangered.Medicinescreatedduetotestsmaycausehazardoussideeffects,orevenreversed
effects,topeople.Forexample,apillthatpreventedbloodclotsinhumanscausedanincreaseof
bloodclotsinhumans(Dogs).Anotherexampleofreversedeffectsinmedicineishow
AcetaminophenwaspoisonoustocatsbutistherapeutictohumansPenicillinistoxicinguinea
pigsbuthasbeenaninvaluabletoolinhumanmedicine(Animals1).Animalsaredifferentfrom
usandsometimesdontgetmanyofthesamediseasesashumansdo.Theriskaccompanyingthe
useofanimalsduringexperimentsistoohighyoucouldpossiblyexperienceahorrible
sideeffectaftertakinganewmedicinethatyouthoughtwouldbeahelpfulremedy.Another
dangerishowhealthwarningsmightbepostponedifanimalswerentaffectedbyacertain
medicineordisease,somanylivescouldbelost.Thelinkbetweensmokingandlungcancer
wasfirstobservedinpeoplebutbecausenoanimalsdevelopedcancerwhenforcedtoinhale
tobaccosmoke,vitalhealthwarningsweredelayedbymanyyears.Nooneknowshowmany
peoplediedasresultofthemisleadinginformationprovidedbyanimalexperiments(Killing)

Becauseofthis,importantmedicinesorwarningsagainstsomethingwillbepostponed,whichis
dangeroustoallpeople.Manymedicinesthatunderwentanimalstestseitherhadareverseeffect
ordidntpassanimaltests,bothofwhichledtodeathsorsevereinjuries.Therearecountless
medicineslikethis,suchasOpren,Isoprenaline,TGN1412,Carbenoxolone,Flosint,Amrinone,
Mitoxantrone,andAidsvax(Killing).Thisisonlyasmalllistofthebountifulamountofdrugs
thatweresupposedtohelphumansbuteitherfailedanimaltrialsorendedupharmingpeople
instead.Mostofthetime,medicinesthathavereversedeffectsonlycauseharm,butsomepeople
candieaswell.Aftertakingaspecificdrugforarthritis,3,500peopleunderwentsometypeof
severereactionand61ofthemdied,buttherewerenoproblemswiththemonkeyswhowere
usedtotestit(Killing).
The1950ssleepingpillthalidomide,whichcaused10,000babiestobe
bornwithseveredeformities,wastestedonanimalspriortoitscommercialrelease(Animals2).
Therewasnoreversedeffectontheanimalsthattestedit.Ahighamountofpeoplearegetting
hurtfrommedicinesthatpassedunderanimaltesting.Animalexperimentationisunreliableand
cancauseseveresideeffects,whichiswhymanypeoplearetryingtofindalternativessomeof
whichalreadylookpromising.

Thereareothermodelsthatcanbeusedtotestmedicinesandenvisionwhateffectsthey
mighthaveonhumans.Computermodelingisonealternativethatcouldeventuallyreplacethe
useofanimals.Infact,itisalreadyusedatcertainplaces.Psychologystudentsonceuseda
virtualratnameSniffytoconducttheirresearch,anditturnedouttobequiteeffective(Harding).
Thisispromising,sinceitshowsthatthereisalikelihoodthatanimaltestingmightsomedaybe
replacedwithsomethingthatwontharmanylivingthing.Computermodeling:sophisticated

computerscanimitatetheworkingsofthehumanbodyandduplicatethespreadofdiseaseso
thatresearcherscanpredicthowdrugswillworkandwhateffecttheywillhave(Killing).
Computermodelsmayeventuallyprovetobemorereliablethananimaltesting.However,there
areotheralternativesthatdonthavetodowithvirtualmodels.Achemosyntheticliver,created
byMukundChorghade,mayreplaceanimallivesintesting(Ericson).Theliveroncepredicted
theoutcomeofamedicinethatwouldveotherwisehaverequired1,000ratsand100dogs
(Ericson).Thisencouragingdiscoverymaybeapromisingalternativeinthefuture.Also,afew
otheroptionsincludemicrodosingtheinjectionofsmallamountsofanexperimentaldrugintoa
humanbodytotrackthereactionsorusinghumantissue,whichmaybemuchmorereliable
thananimalexperimentation(Killing).Therearemanyalternativesalreadycomingintofruition,
soitisalmostcertainthatatleastonewillbecomewidelyusedaswellasdependableand
harmless.Alongsidethat,manypeoplearebeginningtoopposetheuseofanimalstotest
medicines.Publicsupportforanimaltestinghasbeeninsteadydeclinesincethe1950s,
droppingfromabove90%in1949toonly57%in2013(Ericson).Althoughitisoverhalf,a
decreasethatdrasticisatremendousamount.Moreover,accordingtoapollin2001,38%ofthe
peoplewhowereaskedagreedthatscientistsshoulddoresearchusinganimals,6%strongly
agreed,35%disagreed,17%stronglydisagreed,and4%wereneutral(Public).Intotal,44%
agreedthatscientistsshoulduseanimalsinexperimentsand52%disagreed.Morepeopledidnt
thinkthatanimalsshouldbeused,thereforemanymorepeoplewouldbehappyifalternatives
wereused.Ifweprojectintothefuture,animaltestingissuretobereplacedwithsomething
muchmoredependableandanimalswillbesafefromthesufferingthattheyareforcedtoface
everyday.


Scientistsbelievethatitisntimportantthatanimalsarentgivenachoiceaboutwhether
theywanttobetestedonornot.Animalsarebeingforcedintodoingsomethingthatdoesnt
eveninvolvethem.However,thefuturelooksbright.Afuturethatdoesntinvolveanyharm
towardsanimalsisslowlycomingintomotion.Somedayanimalswontbecompelledtohelp
humanstestmedicalproducts,andinsteadwillbeabletoliveastheyweremeanttolivesafe
andfree.

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