In this blog I will discuss the definition, history and uses on Animal Experimentation:

1.      Definition: Animal Testing is the use of living animals for experimental research. Vivisection is the practice or activity of doing scientific or medical experiments on a live animal. In the United States alone, 2.5 million vertebrate animals (animals with a skeleton made of bone) are used for biomedical research. Rats and mice are the most used type of mammals and the most cost effective (inexpensive) to work with. Others types of animals used are; monkeys, chimpanzees, guinea pigs, rabbits, cats, dogs. Farm animals like pigs, cows, sheep and goats are also used. Dogs and cats account for only 1% of mammals research use.

2.      History: The use of animal experimentation dates back from earliest eras like the 2^nd century. Greeks, Arabs and Roman scientists experimented on animals to observe the anatomical, physiological, pathological and pharmacological differences. These experiments were done as a public demonstration. Italian scientist Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564) performed a live vivisection with the assistance of his students to locate and study the functions of a dog’s organs. Now in the 21^st century, animal testing is done for biomedical, toxicology (drug testing) and cosmetic research with a small percentage of testing done for animal behavioral science research. The use of animals for research in the United State specially for pharmaceutical drug testing was very important to people in the 21st century. “In 1937, a pharmaceutical company created a preparation of sulfanilamide, a drug used to treat streptococcal infections, by using diethylene glycol (DEG) as a solvent. Unknown to the chemist, DEG was poisonous to humans, but he simply added raspberry flavoring and marketed the product as 'Elixir Sulfanilamide.' The preparation led to mass poisoning causing the deaths of more than a hundred people. The public outcry caused by this incident and similar disasters led to the passing of the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act requiring safety testing of drugs on animals before they could be marketed".

3.      Uses: Cosmetic Testing- performed to ensure cosmetic products are safe to use on a person’s eye and skin. In March 2013, all member countries of the European Union banned cosmetic testing.

 Biomedical Research- implemented to discover medical advantages to diseases like cancer, AIDS, diabetes, hepatitis B and C, Polio, tuberculosis, Parkinson, asthma, meningitis  and surgeries such as open heart, coronary bypass and heart transplants Biologist believed

Toxicology Testing- performed to evaluate the safety and potency side effects of pharmaceutical drugs, chemicals, food and pesticides.

Developmental Biology- testing is performed to study how living species behave, develop and function. Animals and humans perform the same vital functions such as breathing, digestion, movement and reproduction. According to biologist, chimpanzees have the closest DNA to humans follow by gorillas.

Military Combat Trauma- the U.S. military uses goats and pigs in Live Tissue trauma training (LTTT) to teach student how to treat severe traumatic injuries to limbs and torsos for wounded soldier caused mostly by  IEDS (improvised explosive devices).  Animals are anaesthetized and euthanized after being used for this training.

 

 

Works cited

wwww.humansociety.org/issues/biomedical-research

ww.medicaldaily.com/animal-testing-long--247217