Natalie Overn

ELA 12 Q4
05/18/16
Argumentative Essay: Should Animals Be Used for Medical Research

Being locked up in a tight cage is no way for an animal to live. Testing on animals can create
unbearable living conditions for animals who dont have the capability to sign their life away for testing.
Animals can not object to this testing themselves, so they must have someone protest for them. There
have been laws and regulations enacted to protect these animals, as well as corporations and committees
established to protect their rights; this is similar to how a lawyer helps voiceless people. There are other
methods available that researchers can use that will save time, money, and resources.
Animal testing is against the civil rights of animals who cant speak for themselves. Many
chemicals and medicines tested on animals can result in illness and even death. They are testing
chemicals that could harm humans on animals who are much less evolved than humans are. If we are
allowing these facilities to abuse animals, then should we still let our neighbors abuse theirs? There have
been people charged with animal abuse for mistreating their dogs and other animals, shouldnt we treat
companies who test on animals the same way? With animal testing, we are putting living beings in
incredibly stressful situations and destroying their wills to live. Although they are animals, they still have
feelings.
There was a law passed call the Animal Welfare Act in 1966 that protects the rights of house pet
animals, but excludes cold blooded animals and animals who are raised for the benefit of food and
resources. Why dont these animals have the same rights as all the other animals? More than 100 million
animals are tested each year, and this law doesnt restrict the things they can do. The animals in these
studies are treated poorly and their neurochemistry and distress are not accounted for. They have several
different scenarios created for testing including starvation, dehydration and even electric shock. These

animals are being exposed to hundreds of diseases, many of which are being genetically mutated into
human diseases which dont even correlate with actual human genes.
Genetic makeup of humans and mice differ, so product results vary. An example would be the
mice - when compared to the human, researchers say they are similar, but if you look into it, you can see
the major differences. For example, mice do not have a gallbladder, they dont have menstrual cycles,
and their pregnancies and numbers per birth are completely different. These animals are being mutated
into disease and illnesses that their species should never have to get. Humans are far more evolved than
mice, so to even compare the two is wrong. Products for pregnant women were tested on mice that
werent pregnant, so the pregnant women that were exposed to these products experience birth defects
and even infant mortality. When these animals are put through series of test, it changes their
neurochemistry, producing results that cant be reliable. Depending on the test they perform, most
researchers can find all that they need from testing the blood of humans with the drugs. Currently,
scientist have found a way to recreate human organs from cell samples, which would be a much better
alternative since it comes from what they want their product to work for.
Testing products on animals has a low success rate and about 90% of products are recalled due to
failure. Researchers have proven this by conducting a study to prove that testing on animals isnt as
effective as testing on humans or on human blood. Their study started with them testing the same things
on humans as they would on animals. Instead of wasting time on trying to recreate diseases in the
animals, we should test on humans because that will have the best success rate. While wasting time for
diseases to be recreated, we are delaying when the medicine will be available to the public and this can
even delay it for decades. Another interesting point is that animal research is extremely expensive because
they have to fund the scientist, pay breeders, and locate places to hold the animals.
Advances would not have been possible without the work researchers have been doing to animals
since the 1800s. Aristotle even did work on living animals that allowed for advances in medicine, and his
work is still studied today. There was a product created called thalidomide that wasnt tested on animals;
they called it a wonder drug for helping insomnia and other disorders, but it ended up being a poison to

humans. Without the help of the animals there would be no way to test it on humans without killing them.
Without testing on animals first, there is no way to know if the product will harm humans,, and it is better
to take every precaution before endangering a life.
In conclusion we are better off by testing on ourselves because it will produce better results, as
well as reducing the time it will take for the product to be available to the public. Also, by testing on
humans we remove the middle man and reduce the cost to test. There have been more advancements in
medicine by testing directly on humans, since the rate of success for products tested on animals is at a 90
% failure rate. If we look at the rate of success for testing on human cells, its an 80-85% chance that it
will stay on the market. Many americans are hospitalized or killed each year due to drugs that werent
tested right but passed on the animals.
The other problems with testing on animals is that when compared to humans they are built
different, and they are fed different diets, kept in different environments, etc. Also when comparing
cancer in mice to human, mice get a different kind of cancer that attacks their bones and tissue, but
humans affect the cell membrane.

Works Cited

"Why Animal Rights?" PETA. Web. 18 May 2016.

"Limitations and Dangers | Animal Use in Research." Limitations and Dangers | Animal
Use in Research. Web. 18 May 2016.

Dutt, Patt, PhD, and Jonathan Latham, Phd. "The Experiment Is on Us: Science of
Animal Testing Thrown into Doubt." Independent Science News Food Health and
Agriculture Bioscience News. Web. 18 May 2016.

"Ethical and Scientific Considerations Regarding Animal Testing and Research."PLOS

ONE:. Web. 18 May 2016.