Animal testing is a very controversial topic raising many different opinions. Many people believe that animal testing is beneficial for the human population and should be utilized. Others believe that it is unethical for humans to torture animals for their own benefit. The Articles “Rats Help Pinpoint Pain Molecule” and “Making the Choice to be Against Animal Testing” both admit to some beneficial aspects to animal testing, but explain the positive and negative costs of animal testing respectively.
In Katharine Sanderson’s article, “Rats Help Pinpoint Pain Molecule,” she speaks about how thousands of small molecules involved in the body's metabolism may have uncovered a potential route to treating pain caused by nerve damage. In order to test this, scientists surgically damaged the paws of rats, which were then suffering from neuropathic pain, and analyzed their metabolites, those small molecules mentioned above. Samples of the injured rats’ blood plasma, of tissue near the injured paw, and of tissue from different areas of the spinal column, and compared the metabolites present with that of the same site in healthy rats. Using cultures of spinal cord cells the researchers then tried to work out which of the altered metabolites might be responsible for pain. One molecule, the previously unidentified metabolite N,N-dimethylsphingosine, stood out for the amount of pain signaling it triggered in the cells. To test experimentally whether this molecule was involved in neuropathic pain, the team then injected small amounts of DMS into healthy rats, and sure enough, those rats showed signs of pain. Using these rats, scientists are not able to help neuropathic pain that is developed in humans
On the contrary, the article “Making the Choice to be Against Animal Testing,” testing on animals is not a good idea at all. According to the article, animal tests are not required by law and often produce inaccurate and misleading results. So, even if they do find good results that could potentially help the lives of humans, it may not actually work on humans. The worst part is, even if the product has harmed an animal, it can still be marketed to us. According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), hundreds of thousands of animals are poisoned, blinded or killed every year in outdated ineffective product tests for personal care and household products. So, the animals are being tortured to try and help humans, but in the some cases, they may not even be helping. But in some cases it does help, which is what makes the process legal. If it is helpful in some way, it is not totally a stupid idea. However, the author of this article tries to sway people to turn “cruelty free” and instead, look for products, companies, etc. that do not use animal testing in their products for these reasons.
When you go to the drug store and pick up a prescription, the first thing you think about probably isn’t how the drug was developed or tested. Most likely, it was tested on an animal, and that animal most likely suffered for it. However, if in the long run it could potentially help humans, in this case be neuropathically pain free, then I think it is beneficial. Who knows, testing on animals could help find the cure for Cancer. No one really knows for sure what the outcome is going to be with animal testing, but it definitely could makes the lives of millions Americans easier in the future.
Works Cited
"Against Animal Testing - A Caring Choice." Natural Living for Women. 2011. Web. 31 Jan. 2012. <http://www.natural-living-for-women.com/against-animal-testing.html>.
Sanderson, Katharine. "Rat Helps Pinpoint Pain Molecule." Nature Publishing Group. Nature.com, 22 Jan. 2012. Web. 31 Jan. 2012. <http://www.nature.com/news/rat-helps-pinpoint-pain-molecule-1.9871>.
On the contrary, the article “Making the Choice to be Against Animal Testing,” testing on animals is not a good idea at all. According to the article, animal tests are not required by law and often produce inaccurate and misleading results. So, even if they do find good results that could potentially help the lives of humans, it may not actually work on humans. The worst part is, even if the product has harmed an animal, it can still be marketed to us. According to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), hundreds of thousands of animals are poisoned, blinded or killed every year in outdated ineffective product tests for personal care and household products. So, the animals are being tortured to try and help humans, but in the some cases, they may not even be helping. But in some cases it does help, which is what makes the process legal. If it is helpful in some way, it is not totally a stupid idea. However, the author of this article tries to sway people to turn “cruelty free” and instead, look for products, companies, etc. that do not use animal testing in their products for these reasons.
When you go to the drug store and pick up a prescription, the first thing you think about probably isn’t how the drug was developed or tested. Most likely, it was tested on an animal, and that animal most likely suffered for it. However, if in the long run it could potentially help humans, in this case be neuropathically pain free, then I think it is beneficial. Who knows, testing on animals could help find the cure for Cancer. No one really knows for sure what the outcome is going to be with animal testing, but it definitely could makes the lives of millions Americans easier in the future.
Works Cited
"Against Animal Testing - A Caring Choice." Natural Living for Women. 2011. Web. 31 Jan. 2012. <http://www.natural-living-for-women.com/against-animal-testing.html>.
Sanderson, Katharine. "Rat Helps Pinpoint Pain Molecule." Nature Publishing Group. Nature.com, 22 Jan. 2012. Web. 31 Jan. 2012. <http://www.nature.com/news/rat-helps-pinpoint-pain-molecule-1.9871>.
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