Animal ethics

Question 1

Which ethics theory is applied to animal research?

Answer 1

Utalitarian

Question 2

what is the animal scientific procedures act (ASPA)?

Answer 2

regulates procedures carried out on protected animals for scientific and educational perposes but that may cause pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm

Question 3

what is a protected animal?

Answer 3

Any living vertebrate and any living cephalopod other than human

Question 4

regulated procedure?

Answer 4

procedure carried out on a protective animal that may cause pain for example injections, infection

Question 5

1st ASPA rule

Answer 5

take place in research institutes or companies which have appropriate animal accommodation and vet facilities. have to be granted an establishment licence (PEL)

Question 5

what to remember about unregulated procedures

Answer 5

repeated use of animals for procedures such as behvour research = cumlative effects = push them into regulation

Question 6

2nd ASPA rule

Answer 6

be part of a approved research or testing programme which has been given a project licence (PPL)

Question 7

3rs ASPA rule

Answer 7

be carried out by people with sufficient training, skills and experience as shown in their personal licence (PIL)

Question 8

Project license (PPL) on granted if…

Answer 8

• research can’t be done using non-animal methods
• minimum number of animals will be used
  discomfort or suffering kept to a minim (painkiller or anaesthetic)
  -results are important to justify (harm benefit analysis)
• researchers have skills, training and experience
• facilities to look after animals (Home office code of practise)

Question 9

What does AWERB stand for?

Answer 9

Animal welfare and Ethical review board

Question 10

what does the AWERB do

Answer 10

new animal projects must undergo ethical review carried out by it

Question 11

key task of AWERB

Answer 11

support staff dealing with animals on animal welfare, ethical issues and provision of training - communication and engagement is essential

Question 12

What are the three Rs?

Answer 12

Replacement, Reduction, refinement

Question 13

replacement

Answer 13

methods the avoids the use of animals: accelerating the development and use of predictive and robust models based latest technologies to address important scientific questions

Question 13

What is full replacment?

Answer 13

use of human volunteer, tissues, cells, mathematical and computer models and cell lines

Question 14

partial replacement

Answer 14

use of animals based on current scientific thinking are not considered capable of experience suffering e.g invertebrates such as drosophila
also includes tissues taken from animals killed solely for this purpose

Question 15

What is reduction?

Answer 15

methods that reduce the number of animals used in an experiment
experiments are designed and analysed appropriately
information gathered per animal to be maximised in order to reduce the use of additional animals (longitudinal measurement’s)

Question 16

what is refinement?

Answer 16

methods that minimise any pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm (experimental or raising and breeding)
pain alters animals behaviour - leads to variation in experimental results which impairs both the reliability and repeatability