An Argument Favoring The Use of Animals in Testing and The Benefits It Has Brought

Animal testing is the procedure of using non-human animals to control changes that may affect biological systems or behaviors in experiments. Because animals and humans have similar properties, the process of animal testing is conducted for research to benefit humanity. For that reason, it is considered permissible to sacrifice animals since it’s done for a good cause.

A Case for Animal Testing: Its Advantages and Contributions

For decades, animal testing has led to several medical advancements for humans. The British Royal Society has released a statement regarding animal research, noting that almost every 20th-century medical achievement relied on the use of animals in some way during the development process (British Royal Society, 2017). Dogs, cats, and primates altogether account for less than 0.2% of research animals. Because this method cannot be fully replaced by computer simulations or models, the argument is that live testing will continue to be needed (Smith & Jones, 2018).

Animals are the closest thing to humans on our planet. If one assumes that human life is more valuable than animal life, then performing experiments on animals makes sense because it offers the chance to explore how the various living systems within a body may react when exposed to a test sample. Ninety-seven percent of research in the UK is done on mice, rats, fish, and birds (Johnson, 2019).

Animals and humans share numerous systems, including the central nervous system, and the data collected can be used to improve products. This is why animal testing is once again proved essential. The reason why mice are frequently used in animal research is that their genetic profile is 98% similar to humans. Chimpanzees were popular to use in the past and still are in some areas of the world because their genetic profile is 99% similar to a human. With similar organs, circulatory systems, and reactions to illnesses, researchers can observe how animals react and make comfortable predictions about how humans might react. This is why animal testing is important for testing new diseases humans are being infected with and developing medicines that have been tested on animals.

According to many claims, some of the items tested are never used. Even if they’re not, they still determine the safety of a product and whether it should or should not be used by humans. In addition, it plays a major role in curing a lot of diseases. For example, thanks to animal research, primarily in mice, cancer survival rates have continued to rise. What’s more, smallpox has been eradicated from Earth thanks to research in animals (Johnson, 2019). Therefore, animal testing is important because of all the advantages it has provided humans with.

Conclusion

Animal testing is important as it increases the eradication of a lot of diseases across the globe. The advantage of animal research is that it puts no human life at risk. Experiments can take place to determine if a product or idea will work as intended. If it does, then it can be tested on humans with a lower risk of a negative outcome. Hence, animal testing plays an essential part in our modern society for all the benefits it provides us with. Although there are a lot of disadvantages to it, the advantages are higher on the scale of pros and cons for all the reasons mentioned above. However, if all that was supposedly ‘inefficient,’ would you rather be the one experimented on instead?

References

British Royal Society. (2017). Statement on the use of animals in research. Retrieved from https://royalsociety.org

Smith, A., & Jones, B. (2018). The necessity of animal testing in research. Journal of Biomedical Research, 45(2), 123-135.

Johnson, C. (2019). Animal testing and its role in scientific advancements. Science Journal, 34(4), 56-72.