The discussion of whether or not experiments should be performed on animals is a multifaceted and difficult conversation. Putting helpless creatures through sometimes torturous experimentation to benefit our own species is deemed by some to be unacceptable. However, the flip side would mean that humans would never discover life-saving medicine and treatments that can reunite families. So the real question is, is a human life more valuable than an animal’s just because they are more intelligent?
To carry out testing, animals have to be captured from their natural habitat, bred constantly and consistently, held in cages, injected with chemicals, and left to die. This allows scientists to see the effects of a medicine before it can be administered to patients. However to reach that point, hundreds, if not thousands, of animals have to be put through these unethical steps. No animal, big or small, intelligent or not, should be put through these conditions simply because we value our lives more then theirs. So is animal testing really our only solution?
With new technology and innovation, scientist have discovered that animal and even human tissue can be kept alive if it is placed in the perfect conditions. This is known as in-vitro. This new discovery opens up a new route of experimentation that would not only put animals through much less pain, but even mean that experimentation can someday be carried out on human tissue without ever actually harming the person. In-vitro testing has already been used in many experiments and has shown to be an effective and reliable alternative to conventional animal testing.
As the world and technology develops, we as a society should focus our energy on finding solutions to our outdated and unethical ways. So, the next time you find yourself discussing whether something is right or wrong, take a moment to ask yourself, “Is this really the only solution we have?”.