Free Essay Describing Animal Use in Biomedical Research

THREAD # 1

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Biomedical research qualifies as authentic and useful when is thoroughly tested. However, the only way research can be tested either when humans or animals are used as experiments. Ideally, either way, it seems cruel. Essentially, both animal and human life is valuable and subjecting it to horrible and painful torture in the name of the experiment is degrading and atrocity to them. However, absence of biomedical research means a limitation for medical knowledge and expertise. Therefore, either way, it has consequences. Peter Singer raises a strong point. According to the argument on how we need to value both the animal and human life. What we need to find out, is the benefit of the hypothesis used. At some point, if the hypothesis is found out to be neither true nor false? This will mean an animal life used in the experiment has been lost at no cost, no resultant effect (Franco et al., 2014)

Alternatively, if there's another way the hypothesis can be tested without subjecting animal or human life to such trauma and horrible doing? According to the study conducted by Vivisection Information Network on animal Testing and science 92% of the drugs as a result of the test done on animals immediately fail when applied to humans because they are either useless or toxic. This shows that in most cases the atrocities that animals go through in testing of drugs is not worth it as the drug at long run may not be useful to humans. Therefore the suffering of animals at the expense of humans in most cases animals is not worth the resources used (Olsson, 2014)

In spite of that, looking at Carl Cohen point of view, biomedical research is essential. Research requires animals; humans too are animals of course. Essentially, we have to sacrifice the life of one or two animals at the expense of a population. Therefore, this means that the life of many people is more valuable than when a small number of animals are sacrificed. In my own point of view, the money that should have been used in research should be a preserve for finding alternatives methods other than the use of human or animal life in experiments. This may include the use of technology in biomedical research such as the use of computer simulators and cell colonies.

THREAD # 2

It is important that all animals be treated with a lot of care. Medical experiments are very important, and researchers must take care of both human beings and the animals. I agree with Singer's argument that research ethics committee should be responsible when handling animals. They should ensure that animals commonly used as specimen should not face risks that lead to death. However, it is not possible to do experiments without the use of specimen. Animals are believed to be the best specimen for such medical experiments, and it would not be possible to come up with satisfying results without the use of the animals.

As opposed to Cohen, I believe that it is the responsibility of human beings to make rules and regulations that will ensure that animals do not face dangers from people who want to benefit from them. Just because animals cannot be able to protect themselves, that should not be a good reason for abuse. I believe it is wrong to believe that because animals cannot outline their rights, they have no rights.

However, the fact that animals are used as a specimen in the biomedical field does not justify that they do not treat animals with care. Also, it does not define that human beings are more important than animals the practitioners use the animals as a specimen for their lab activities to solve a problem that can lead to more suffering for both human beings and animals. The fact that animals are the best specimen that can be used for the experiments puts the medical practitioners to a responsibility to find medical solutions for both human beings and animals.

References

Franco, N. H., & Olsson, I. A. S. (2014). Scientists and the 3Rs: attitudes to animal use in biomedical research and the effect of mandatory training in laboratory animal science. Laboratory animals, 48(1), 50-60.