Animal testing has been a controversial topic for a very long time. If you are unaware of what is animal testing, it is essentially the misuse of these innocent creatures for testing drugs, products, or medical treatments, etc. As one can imagine, the process can be very harmful to animals and can cause anything from momentary pain to death.
This topic remains one that is talked about very regularly in various spheres of life. While some people say that animal experimentation must be stopped at all costs, others argue for its importance in saving human life. These arguments make for very strong university and college assignments too. Students are often tasked with writing an animal testing argumentative essay as part of their education. A student who has difficulty with developing their arguments for or against this topic can easily read some essay examples that are available online.
Such examples are a great way to read what others have to say about this topic and then develop your thoughts. Before you start writing your essay on this subject, you should learn a little about what is animal testing and how it relates to animal ethics and other issues.
Which Animals Are Used?
There are many types of creatures that are used for experiments. These include the likes of the following:
- Monkeys
- Rats
- Mice
- Fish
- Horses
- Cows
- Sheep
- Dogs
- Cats
- And many more
As you can see, the list is very long. Mammals, birds, fish, and amphibians are all used for various experiments. Different countries have different laws regarding the types but the lists for each country are still very long.
What’s Wrong With Animal Testing?
Well, first of all, it is very cruel. Animals are also living creatures like us who are hurt and abused in such experiments. They are often injected with harmful drugs, operated on to remove their organs or tissues, exposed to toxic gases, and thrown into harmful and frightening situations. On top of that, these test subjects are usually bred in labs and other facilities like they are a product for people to use for their experiments.
A creature born and bred in a sterile laboratory has no idea about what life is like. They are kept in cages so there is no free movement or any kind of control over their own lives. They are often alone and isolated as well. Some people also use wild animals for testing, tearing them away from their families and their habitats just to experiment on them.
What’s The Alternative?
Luckily, some alternative methods are now starting to be used for some types of experiments. Modern education and science have made it possible to reduce the need for experimentation on live subjects, although there is still a lot of work to be done to make those methods mainstream. Some popular alternatives include:
Cell Cultures
A majority of the types of cells a human body has can now be grown in laboratories and tested on. This is a very good way to conduct experiments regarding the treatment of medical conditions like AIDS, cancer, and kidney disease.
Human Tissues
Human tissue that is volunteered by people, both healthy and diseased – is a great way to learn more about diseases that people suffer from. It can offer a more relevant way to determine causes for diseases and come up with treatments as compared to using animals.
Artificial Models
Whether 3D-printed or virtually created, models of human organs can be created to test various treatments without having to harm any living being in the process.
What Happens If We Continue Animal Testing?
More and more innocent living beings will continue to be harmed, to put it simply. Yes, these experiments have given us crucial data about various diseases and have helped us develop a plethora of products that we use every day. However, if it does not stop, then we continue to put animals in danger for our gain. There will never be any good end to this phenomenon if we don’t start trying out the very good alternatives that we finally have access to.
Conclusion
Many harms come from using innocent creatures for testing and experimentation. These creatures also deserve to live their lives instead of being caged and locked for their whole lifetimes, only to be tested on and hurt in the process.
Learning about animal ethics and issues related to testing on living beings is something that every student should consider. It doesn’t have to come as an assignment from your college or university. This is a very serious topic of our time and something that everyone must be aware of. Only when we start talking about this topic and working with alternative testing options will we ever be able to stop abusing other living beings for our gain.
