Answer to Question 23, 27 and 28

23, Is animal experimentation really necessary?
27, How do animal experimentations contribute to our lives?

28, What is the danger of using alternatives?

This is what scientists who agree with animal experimentation say.

“When scientists create new medicines, they must experiment animals to know the safeties of them. That is because to understand the life activities scientifically is very important for the health of both human and animal and the conservation of environment. In that sense, animal experimentation is necessary.

These days, many scientists in all over the world use alternatives. They use computer simulations or cultivated cells as real animals. However, human being’s body structure is complexed and they cannot fully analyze physiological functions by current science technology. Also, a lot of surveys use animal experimentations and prove their effects and many scientists have got Novel Prizes.”

In addition to these in the table, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson’s disease, spinal injury, corneal opacity, diabetes and tuberculosis are examples that animal experimentations contribute to our lives.

Here is what people who disagree with animal experimentation say.

Because scientists can get much salaries, they use animal experimentation and announce their results of studies. Scientists create similar symptom in the body of animal even though the body structure of human being and animal are not exact the same. Also, human beings have their own stress, diet and heredity and they depends on each of us. That’s why animal experimentations are not only useless but also dangerous in a way. We citizens have images that animal experimentation is necessary for our health but there are still some harmless effects of medicines.”

Now, what do you think?

Question 4: Has animal testing contributed to medicine?

Animal research has brought many medical benefits. Diseases could not have been eliminated without animal research. Animal research has also made people healthier since it has contributed to eliminating many infectious diseases. Animal research has even contributed to better nutrition since it has helped to identify the medicines that contribute to good or bad health.

The chart below shows examples of the major medical breakthroughs made possible by animal research. These treatments have been used to save or improve the lives of many millions of people worldwide.

Citation Medical Research With Animal https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/air/AnimalResearchFS06.pdf

Understanding Animal Research

http://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/why/human-health/

Question 3: Who uses animal in research?

Most people carrying out the research or testing are doctors, scientists, vets or trained animal carers, working in universities, hospitals, research institutes and pharmaceutical companies. Everyone who uses animals in research must have the necessary skills and training, and the research must be carried out in licensed premises.

Animal testing may come up with cruel images but the reality is that animal testing is performed in lots of places around the world. Animal testing remains an important part of knowledge and progress by a wide range of researchers.

Citation About Animal Testing http://www.aboutanimaltesting.co.uk/who-performs-animal-testing.html

aps http://www.the-aps.org/mm/sciencepolicy/animalresearch/publications/animals/quest1.html

Answers to Question 22 and 29

22, Why people agree with animal experimentation?

29, How do people who have no any particular opinion think of animal experimentation?

Many people may say, “I don’t care…” when they are asked if they are agree or disagree with animal experimentation. They don’t totally agree but they aren’t interested in it. The reason why they say so is that they don’t know how and what for animals are tested and how they effect on our lives. They know many products are tested by animals and ensured. But they don’t know the certainty is weak and their money are used arbitrarily. When we search about animal experimentation, we often find a lot of cruel pictures of animals. They may strongly impress viewers. Also, we find many organizations and sites which disagree with animal experimentation. We can get a lot of information from there. So first, I recommend they know the facts and come to have some interests in it.

Answer to Question 21 and 26

21, Why people disagree with animal experimentation?

26, How much does it cost to test animals?

(1) Animals cannot be alternatives of humans.

Animals which are made for experimentations are called “animal model”. However, because the results of the experimentations are just for those animals and not for human beings. If a medical product is ensured by the result of animal experimentation, it is not certain. That’s why there are still chemical antagonisms.

(2) Animals have rights to live.

Animals which used for experimentations are born as such animals and finish their lives by testing. Again, there is no certain fact that animal experimentations are useful for the advance of health of human beings. However, millions of animals are killed by experimentations till now. Animals cannot say anything and cry or tell their feelings. But they actually feel the pains. That’s same as humans.

(3) Its cost.

Animal experimentations cost a lot. When the institute of Japan does animal experimentation, the tax from citizens are used. Or, a company does, its costs are covered by the products. This means, we pay for them without any knowing.

Citation

動物実験に反対する理由 | NPO法人アニマルライツセンター　毛皮、動物実験、動物虐待、工場畜産、犬猫殺処分などをなくしエシカルな社会へ. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2016, from http://www.arcj.org/animals/animaltesting/00/id=762

研究とお金. (2010). Retrieved July 20, 2016, from http://www.nezumi.info/main/money

Answer to Question 20

Animals are used in brutal ways.

1, cosmetics

Rabbits cannot cry and try to remove their pains by themselves and that's why they are used for researching the danger of cosmetics. Experimenters put shampoos or conditioners into rabbits' eyes and see what happens.

2, cigarettes

Monkeys and mouses are used for searching how they affect human bodies even though their body systems and human's are different. Both companies which tries to figure out the bad effect of cigarettes and tries to know if the cigarettes have good effect on human beings' body use animals to achieve their goals.

3, stationeries and toys

These days many stationeries and toys which use antimicrobials are sold in shops. To search its effect, animals are experimented. They are given some poisonous materials without anesthesia. They are forced to suffer from pains till they die.

4, survey for stresses

Experimenters give animals the shocks of electricity, force them into drawing in waters, don't let them sleep and so on. By doing these things, they see how humans get stressed.

These are not all but just some examples. Some says in fact these experimentation were done about 30 years ago but now, we hardly know the truth.

citation

http://www.coara.or.jp/~wadasho/doubutu.html

http://mbis0.tripod.com/animaltest/main.htm

Answers to the Question 18 and 19

18. Where can we find out the reality of animal experimentation?

 

We can see a lot of information about animal experimentations on the internet. Most of them oppose testing animals. Their purposes are in various ways. Some people against it because of its effect on the environment and others are as taxpayers or consumers. there are also people who support animal protection, too. Also, we often see the cruel pictures of experimented animals on the internet. People who make pages on the internet try to get attention of viewers and they use those kinds of pictures. However, some scientists say that those pictures were taken about 30 years ago and now the situation has been changed. We as researchers, when we search it, should not easily believe what we saw on the internet at first sight.

 

19. How can we join the movements against animal testing?

 

Some NGOs or NPOs have a lot of information on their blogs. We can join them by donating money, tweeting our thoughts and share them, or participating in the meetings. Each organization have their own ways so we can find out what we can do for them now.

 

Question 2: Why are animals used in research?

Because animals are similar to human beings in many ways and scientists use animal when there is a need to find out what happens in the whole living body.

There are three main reasons why animals are used in research:

・To advance scientific understanding

・To develop solutions to medical problems

・To protect the safety of people

To advance scientific understanding

Adding to scientific knowledge through basic biological research helps us understand how living things work, and apply that understanding for the benefit of both humans and animals. The study of animals is a vital part of this research process. Many basic cell processes are the same in all animals, and the bodies of animals are like humans. Comparing different species and studying the differences and similarities between them is one way to gain insights. Information from this sort of work can then be applied to higher animals and humans.

To develop solutions to medical problems

            Once researchers learn more about a particular disease, animals are used to develop and test these potential treatments as part of the applied research process. Data from animal studies is essential before new medical techniques and surgical procedures can be tested on human patients.

To protect the safety of people

            New medicines require testing because researchers must measure both the beneficial and the harmful effects of a compound on a whole organism. The animal tests provide data on efficacy and safety. Testing on animals also serves to protect consumers, workers and the environment from the harmful effects of chemicals. All chemicals for commercial or personal use must be tested so that their effect on the people and animals exposed to them is understood. 

Citation: The National Academies Press http://www.nap.edu/read/10089/chapter/3

AnimalSmart. org http://animalsmart.org/animal-health-animal-welfare/animals-used-in-research

Question 1: When did animal testing start?

In the second century Roman physician named Galen started animal testing.

Galen is the first to describe the complexities of the cardio-pulmonary system and speculated on brain and spinal cord function. He also wrote over 500 treatises on animal physiology. In On Anatomical Procedures he detailed actual experimental methods and identified the best instruments to perform specific procedures.

Citation BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/galen.shtml

Medical Daily http://www.medicaldaily.com/animal-testing-long-unpretty-history-247217

Answers to the Question 16 and 17

16, How many countries do animal experimentations?

In some countries, including Japan, don't make laws about prohibiting animal experimentations. (Japan is the only developed country which doesn't make laws for animal experimentation.) In those countries, government or local government don't know what happens in their countries or regions. Moreover, they don’t need to submit papers and to be allowed to experiment animals. This is why we actually cannot know how many countries or companies do animal experimentations.

17, Are there any rule for testing?

Some countries such as Japan don’t have rules but others do.

According to this picture, Japan is the only developed country which has no rule for testing animals. Other developed countries such as America, Australia, Korea or countries of Europe Union. They must be allowed or register 1) who 2) where 3) how and so on. By doing this, the governments in those countries can know what and how is happens in their country. However, in Japan, there is no rule. We cannot know what and how animals are tested. This is because we often see a lot of cruel pictures of tested animals when we search for the truth of animal experimentations.

 

http://www.alive-net.net/animal-experiments/jikkenQ&A1.htm

15 questions

15 questions about animal testing


16. How many ccountries do animal experimantations?
17. Are there any rule for testing?
18. Where can we find out the reality of animal experimentation?
19. How can we join the movements against animal testing?
20. How are animals used in laboratory?
21. Why people disagree with animal experimentation?
22. Why people agree with animal experimentation?
23. Is animal experimentation really neccesary?
24. What company refuges to use the experimented products?
25. What happens to animals after the experimentation?
26. How much does it cost to test animals for a year?
27. How do animal experimentations contributr to our lives?
28. What is the danger of using alternatives?
29. How do people who have any particular opinion think of animal experimentation?
30. Are there any organization that succeeded in insisting not using animal experimentation?

15 Questions

15 questions about animal testing

1. When did animal testing start?
2. Why are animals used in research?
3. Who uses animals in research?
4. Has animal testing contributed to medicine?
5. Are there alternatives to using animals in testing?
6. How is animal testing regulated?
7. What animals are used in testing?
8. How many animals are used in testing?
9. Do animals suffer in testing?
10. What do doctors and scientists think about animal testing?
11. How do you find out if a company tests its products on animals?
12. Are animals too different from people for animal testing to be valid?
13. Who pays for animal testing?
14. Where do scientists get their animals?
15. Do animals have rights?

3 current news

Milman, O. (2015). National Institutes of Health announces end to chimpanzee research. Retrieved June 16, 2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/nov/19/national-institutes-health-end-chimpanzee-research

NIH Announces End to Chimpanzee Research Program - Jane Goodall's Good for All News. (2015). Retrieved June 16, 2016, from http://news.janegoodall.org/2015/11/23/nih-announces-end-to-chimpanzee-research-program/

Gross, R. E. (2015). NIH Announces the End of Its Controversial Era of Chimpanzee Research. Retrieved June 16, 2016, from http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/11/20/nih_to_end_invasive_chimpanzee_research.html

News Articles

http://www.vogue.com.au/beauty/news/australia+moves+to+ban+animal+testing+on+cosmetics,39341
http://www.newsner.com/en/2016/06/australian-government-votes-to-ban-animal-tested-cosmetics/
http://tenplay.com.au/news/national/june/pledge-to-ban-cosmetic-testing-on-animals-in-australia

Presentation

I played the person who is against animal testing and I will write down her opinion.

Animals are forced to ingest, inhale or are injected with toxic substances such as gasoline components and mercury. Animals used in these tests experience extreme pain before being killed, dissected, and thrown away like garbage. All the more upsetting is that many of these tests could easily be replaced with more sophisticated, more accurate, and less expensive non-animal alternatives.

Animals' rights are violated when they are used in research. They have a basic moral right to respectful treatment. Animals and people are alike in many ways; they both feel, think, behave, and experience pain. So animals should be treated with the same respect as humans. Therefore, animal experimentation should be stopped because it violates the rights of animals.

PETA http://prime.peta.org/2014/11/blinding-science-petas-jessica-sandler-persuading-policymakers-stop-animal-testing

PETA http://www.peta.org/about-peta/why-peta/peta-tactics/

Cruelty Free International https://www.crueltyfreeinternational.org/why-we-do-it/arguments-against-animal-testing

my opinion for animal experimentation

I agree with animal experimentation. When we suffer from illnesses, we use medicines and the safety of most of them are ensured by animal experimentation. Its research results have become pretty successful at a lot of serious diseases such as cancer, diabetes or tuberculosis. Also, it helps some specific studies and in fact, many scientists who got Nobel Prize in Chemistry experimented animals in their researches.

Silvio Garattini, a scientist of Milano University, says animal experimentation is necessary. Many people who against it say that to experiment animal is too cruel but none of the scientists do it without any particular motive. Also, they can do it only when they are permitted by strict ethical committee.

There is a principal called 3R, Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement. Scientists have to make it clear why they need to do it and consider these R words when they do it.

I can understand those who are opposed to animal experimentation because it’s too cruel. But it is just an argument based on emotion. If animal experimentation is abolished, we have to use medicines which their safeties are not ensured. Do you want to use them when you want to be healthy? I don’t want to. That’s why I think animal experimentation is necessary for us to live.

My current understanding about animal experimentation is that this topic is so controvercial that we both can not easily decide it is right or wrong.
 Many zoophilists say animal experimentation should be banned because animals have their rights to live.
Almost all of our medicines we use are tested by animals and a lot of scientists who have gotten nobel prize in chemistry use animal experimentation and their researches contribute to human beings' health.

There are various opinions about animal experimentation.