About Animals Used for Medical Research

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By Jessica Lietz
eHow Contributing Writer

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Using animals for medical research has become commonplace and yielded significant improvements in medical procedures, treatments and technology. However, the practice is not without problems or controversy, which has begun to promote a search for alternatives to such practices.

History

Research using animals began in ancient times with the Greeks and Romans, but did not become widespread until the mid-1800s.

Significance

Using animals for research purposes allows scientists to determine the effectiveness of drugs and procedures and the safety of medications and chemicals, benefiting humans as well as other animals, such as pets and livestock.

Function

Animals in medical research function as a means of educating students, testing potential drugs and chemicals, and for research on medical treatments and procedures.

Types

The animals used for medical research range in species from fruit flies for genetics research to primates used in behavioral and immunological studies; the most common research animals used are mice and rats.

Considerations

The use of animals in medical research is a controversial subject due to claims of cruelty and abuse from one faction, and explanations of necessity for advancement of medications, vaccinations and chemical products that humans use from opposing groups, who also maintain that there is no way to completely avoid products or procedures that have at some point involved research animals.

Misconceptions

Animals used in medical research are cared for by licensed and qualified veterinary personnel, and research protocols often require the approval of review committees before any experimentation takes place.

Potential

Potential developments to the use of animals in medical research include reducing the numbers of animals used, refining procedures to cause less pain to animals and replacing animals with other means, such as nanotechnology.