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„h Laboratory animals The use of laboratory animals is important to three
main areas: biomedical research, product safety testing, and education.
Biomedical researchers use animals to extend their understanding of the workings
of the body and the processes of disease and health, and to develop new vaccines
and treatments for various diseases.
The research these people do isnˇ¦t only for human benefit; it is also
helping to develop veterinary techniques. The industry uses animals to test the
effectiveness and safety of many consumer products, such as cosmetics, household
cleaning products, pesticides, chemicals, and drugs. Educators, from elementary
school all the way up to college, use animals as parts of the teaching process,
including dissecting worms, and frogs in science classes to medical students
using animals to learn surgical techniques.
Scientists study animals to learn more about certain species: its
history, its psychological and social behaviors, and its skills. If the animals
are kept in captivity, they can be caused pain that isnˇ¦t natural part of its
environment. A number of organizations wish to replace and reduce the number of
animals being used or, at the very least, lessen the pain. Rats and mice make up
85-90% of animals used in research, education, and testing. Rabbits, guinea
pigs, hamsters, dogs, cats, and non-human primates are studied as well. Dogs and
Cats make up about 1% of research animals. The certain animal depends on what is
being studied.
The majority of rats and mice are bred specifically for research. Half
of the dogs and cats that are used are bred for that purpose too. Animal dealers
are the primary source for the rest. Animal dealers must be licensed by the
USDA, or the United States Department of Agriculture and have to obey the
standards of care set up by the Animal Welfare Act. „h Alternatives to Animal
Testing Alternative methods fall into three main categories, also known as the
three Rˇ¦s: Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement.
Replacement is when animals are replaced, either by absolute replacement,
which is when an animal is completely replaced, or by relative replacement, just
cells and tissues are used, instead of the whole animal. Replacement isnˇ¦t
always an option although, for those animals that do undergo testing, scientists
try to lessen the pain and make the animals more comfortable. Replacement isnˇ¦t
considered an option anymore-it has become daily.
A few years ago, when a woman wanted to find out whether or not she was
pregnant, she had to stop at a laboratory and get a test that involved killing a
rabbit. Nowadays, she can buy and over-the-counter kit that tests her for
certain chemicals. Computers are a new high-tech method of replacement. For
example, dissection on a computer model instead of real, live frogs, which I
would prefer!
People are becoming increasingly popular when it comes time for the needs for
volunteers for new facial and skin products. Reduction is the second method
involves ˇ§sharingˇ¨ research animals. For one example, if one scientist doing a
study on the lungs of a sheep, when it comes time to kill the sheep he will
allow the others to use his kidneys, liver or heart. Refinement being the third
choice means to reduce any pain and suffering that the animal is going through.
Techniques that are less hostile to the animal can also be considered
refinement. Researchers can use ultrasound or an MRI (Magnetic Resonance
Imaging) to see what is going on inside the animal instead of cutting into it.
The cosmetics industry, which 20 years ago tested all its products on animals
has come so close to stopping using animals. Many companies have reduced the use
of whole-animal testing by 80 ˇV 90%. Some have eliminated it completely.
Since the 80ˇ¦s many companies have put serious amounts of money and effort
into a search for alternatives for animal testing. Plus, most ingredients that
are being used today have already been tested on an animal and have shown to be
safe. „h What kinds of tests are being done? The chronic-toxicity tests assess
the effects of long-term exposure, often at low levels, to certain subjects.
Acute-toxicity tests evaluate the risk of short-term exposure, accidental
contact with eyes, skin and indigestion.
There have two different outcries of this test. The most public outcry
of this test happened in the 1980ˇ¦s. One of them, the Draize eye test was one
that used rabbits to estimate the ability of a test substance to irritate or
damage the eye. This involves putting the solution into one of the rabbitˇ¦s
eyes. Then recording the changes in many different parts of the eye, as compared
to the untreated eye over a week.
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