ANIMAL TESTING
by: Jacqueline Torres
WHAT IS ANIMAL TESTING
The use of animals in scientific research.
TYPES OF ANIMALS
COMMON ANIMAL PROCEDURES
Forced chemical exposure in toxicity testing
Exposure to drugs, chemicals or infectious disease at levels that cause illness, pain
and distress, or death
Several cosmetic tests commonly performed include: skin and eye irritation tests
where chemicals are rubbed onto shaved skin or dripped into the eyes without any
pain relief.
Ear-notching and tail-clipping for identification
Short periods of physical restraint for observation or examination
Prolonged periods of physical restraint
Food and water deprivation
Surgical procedures followed by recovery
Infliction of wounds, burns and other injuries to study healing
Infliction of pain to study its physiology and treatment
Behavioral experiments designed to cause distress
Other manipulations to create animal models of human diseases ranging from
cancer to stroke to depression
ANIMAL TESTING FACTS
Over 100 million animals are burned, crippled, poisoned, and abused in labs around
the world every year. 25 million animals in the U.S. alone.
92% of experimental drugs that are safe and effective in animals fail in human
clinical trials because they are too dangerous or dont work.
Up to 90% of animals used in U.S. labs are not counted in the official statistics of
animals tested.
The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) (7 U.S.C. 2131) is the only U.S. federal law that
covers animals in research.
Enacted in 1966, it regulates the care and use of animals in research, testing,
teaching, exhibition, transport, and by dealers.
Europe, the worlds largest cosmetic market, Israel, and India have already banned
animal testing for cosmetics, and the sale or import of newly animal-tested beauty
products.
According to the Humane Society, registration of a single pesticide requires more
than 50 experiments and the use of as many as 12,000 animals.
In tests of potential carcinogens, subjects are given a substance every day for 2
years. Other tests involve killing pregnant animals and testing their fetuses.
PRODUCT TESTING
ANIMAL-DERIVED INGREDIENTS
RESEARCH
Animals are used in basic, biomedical, behavioral,
military, agricultural, and veterinary research, and
drug development and testing.
The majority of animals used in research and testing
are rats, mice, and birds because of their low cost,
high availability, and ease of breeding.
There is demonstrated evidence of the failures of the
animal model.
Forcing dogs to inhale cigarette smoke did not show a link to
lung cancer
Flosint, an arthritis medication, tested safe in monkeys but
caused deaths in humans
The recalled diet drug fen-phen caused no heart damage in
animals, while it did in humans.
RESEARCH
In spite of the fact that differences between human and
animals have led to flawed science and incorrect
conclusions, the practice of animal experimentation
continues.
In an attempt to overcome the limitations of animal
models, researchers are genetically engineering animals,
by removing or adding genes they believe relate to specific
human diseases. They assume that these new genetically
constructed animals will be more human-like.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Students dissect preserved animals throughout
all levels of biology education, from middle
school to graduate school.
Approximately 10 million animals are used for
classroom dissection exercises annually in the
U.S.
The most frequently dissected animals are frogs,
fetal pigs, and cats.
TREATMENT OF ANIMALS
Dealers often stockpile animals on top of one
another and ship them in crowded containers
with no temperature regulation, food, or water.
The harvesting of millions of frogs from the wild
each year for dissection purposes poses a threat
to endangered populations
Fetal pigs and organs from cows and sheep,
come from slaughterhouses and factory farms.
Animals are often kept in cramped, unsanitary
conditions while enduring painful routine
procedures.
WORKS CITED
[Link]
_testing/qa/[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]