Animal Ethics and Use in Research Flashcards
What are animal ethics?
The moral principles that govern how we treat animals that are experimented on.
What is morality?
What is considered right and acceptable treatment of animals in research.
Why would someone be in favour of animal experiments and why would someone be against?
In favour if:
- pain and suffering kept to a minimum
- Human benefits are gained that cannot be obtained using non animal methods
Against:
- Experimenting on animals is always unacceptable
- Any benefits that animal testing has provided could have been produced using non animal methods
What are the 5 main moral theories?
Contractarianism Utilitarianism The relationship view The animal rights point of view The respect nature point of view
What is contractarianism?
- A type of moral theory that employs the idea of contracts between individuals to govern their interactions.
- Each of us have our own interests that we are entitled to pursue, however we can benefit from the help of others.
What is utilitarianism?
- Actions are right if they are useful or beneficial to the majority
- Animals deserve moral considerations, in our dealing with animals we must consider the welfare consequences as well as the potential benefits to humans/animals.
What is the relational view?
- Highlights the importance of our relationships to animals and is based upon considering animals in a sort of hierarchical order.
- Have special duties to domestic animals because they are in our care
- Considers how out treatment of animals might affect our treatment of humans.
What is the Animal rights view?
- Directly opposes the concept of animal use, puts clear and definitive limits on our treatment of animals (abolitionist position).
- Animals should have the same considerations as human beings, the right not to suffer or be killed for human benefit.
What is the respect for nature view?
- The moral value of species. We have a duty to protect not just individual animals, but the species to which they belong – and, in particular, the integrity of each species.
- The preservation of species is morally good, should respect nature and its rich genetic structures. Not genetically modify species (disrespectful interference), selective breeding.
Why do we need to use animals in research?
- ideally wouldnt
- 90% research uses non animals methods
- cells behave differently in vitro and in vivo
- most of the medicines we have today come from animal research.
- understanding animal ill-health
why use animals?
Systems similar to humans
Most human diseases exist in ≥1 other spp
Side effects and efficacy of drugs only show up in in vivo tests
Whole system complexity of interactions only replicable in vivo
Law says so!
What animals have been used?
mice fish rats horses cats monkeys dogs chickens/chicks
what about in vitro experiments?
Many different forms Cheaper Quicker iPSCs/organoids very promising Interesting work in wound repair for MIs Can build a scaffold of myocardial cells Cannot fully replicate a living system