BLGY1211 Ethics of animal experimentation
Vivisection
The practice of performing operations on live animals for the purpose of
experimentation or scientific research
Public perceptions
28% aren’t happy with it
7/10 think its ok as long as there is no alternative and suffering is minimized
¾ think we should look for alternative
More accepting in its use of medicines
Government policy shows they are working to reduce the use of animals in scientific
research but it is a necessary evil
Animal rights activists perspective
Animals react differently than we do give faulty results unscientific
They can’t tell you how much it hurts
They suffer, have feelings and want to live just like we do
We are all the same
If it’s wrong to do to us it’s wrong to do to them
The benefits: Parkinson’s disease
The death of a region of the brain leading to loss of muscular control 7-10 years
from diagnosis to death
Probe is placed into the brain and sends electrical voltage to rescue dying brain cells
so masks the symptoms
30 monkeys were used to produce that treatment they don’t get Parkinson’s so it
must be induced
Minimizing harms – principles of humane experimentation: 3Rs
Replacement – getting rid of animals in experimentation instead of the drase test
where you drip it into a rabbits eye you put it in a test tube with skin cells and other
things that gives a more specific as using human skin cells
Refinement – minimizing pain, suffering or distress anesthetic and analgesics,
train animals to put paws out to take blood so less stress, looking at ways to assess
pain must assess it over lifetime (housing them is the best way to make an animal
happy – food, water, social groups, entertainment) stressed animals alter their
physiology and biochemistry so results won’t be useful
Reduction – reducing the number used use 4.1million animals a year, not
including animals killed because too many or just want tissues, 16-18million per year
in UK
In Europe, you must apply these in any work you do
Education and training in the developing world
Harmful mutant and GM animals
Disease-causing gene defects diabetes and obesity research
Humanize animals cystic fibrosis
Vivisection
The practice of performing operations on live animals for the purpose of
experimentation or scientific research
Public perceptions
28% aren’t happy with it
7/10 think its ok as long as there is no alternative and suffering is minimized
¾ think we should look for alternative
More accepting in its use of medicines
Government policy shows they are working to reduce the use of animals in scientific
research but it is a necessary evil
Animal rights activists perspective
Animals react differently than we do give faulty results unscientific
They can’t tell you how much it hurts
They suffer, have feelings and want to live just like we do
We are all the same
If it’s wrong to do to us it’s wrong to do to them
The benefits: Parkinson’s disease
The death of a region of the brain leading to loss of muscular control 7-10 years
from diagnosis to death
Probe is placed into the brain and sends electrical voltage to rescue dying brain cells
so masks the symptoms
30 monkeys were used to produce that treatment they don’t get Parkinson’s so it
must be induced
Minimizing harms – principles of humane experimentation: 3Rs
Replacement – getting rid of animals in experimentation instead of the drase test
where you drip it into a rabbits eye you put it in a test tube with skin cells and other
things that gives a more specific as using human skin cells
Refinement – minimizing pain, suffering or distress anesthetic and analgesics,
train animals to put paws out to take blood so less stress, looking at ways to assess
pain must assess it over lifetime (housing them is the best way to make an animal
happy – food, water, social groups, entertainment) stressed animals alter their
physiology and biochemistry so results won’t be useful
Reduction – reducing the number used use 4.1million animals a year, not
including animals killed because too many or just want tissues, 16-18million per year
in UK
In Europe, you must apply these in any work you do
Education and training in the developing world
Harmful mutant and GM animals
Disease-causing gene defects diabetes and obesity research
Humanize animals cystic fibrosis
