ethics, biology and psychology

Question 1

outline general principles of using animals in research

Answer 1

• supports responsible use of animals as experimental subjects
• only use animals in research when no other reasonable option exists
• specifically use animals when it comes to researching diseases and disorders of the nervous system

Question 2

what regulations are in place to minimise harm/discomfort for the animals used in research?

Answer 2

• use minimum number of animals required
• if animals experience momentary/slight pain -> must be put under anaesthesia
• if appropriate, animal should be humanely killed
• animal should be well homed (minimum stress, pain or discomfort)

Question 3

what is a negative for using animals in research?

Answer 3

• very expensive

Question 4

outline benefits using animals in research?

Answer 4

• medical advancements
• psychological advancements
• veterinary advancements
• transplants

Question 5

outline the medical advancements that have come from using animals in research

Answer 5

• combat pandemics (AIDS, Polio, Covid)
• understanding anatomy
• understanding cardiovascular and nervous system

Question 6

outline the psychological advancements that have come from using animals in research

Answer 6

• understanding sensorimotor systems
• understanding memory systems
• understanding and treatment of disorders (e.g.: Alzheimer’s

Question 7

how many people are alive because of organ donation and transplants?

Answer 7

• more than 50,000

Question 8

what are transplants built on the back of?

Answer 8

• lives of thousands of dogs
  (scooped off streets)
• cyclosporine (anti-rejection drug)

Question 9

how were the mentally ill treated for their illness in the past?

Answer 9

• bloodletting (removing blood)
• lobotomy (type of brain surgery, severs frontal lobe with rest of brain)
• trephination (hole is drilled into skull)

Question 10

what has been implemented when using human ppts in studies?

Answer 10

• now have ethic boards
• follow WHO: Declaration of Helsinki (2006)

Question 11

outline the rules that must be followed when using human ppts

Answer 11

• use minimum number of ppts required
• if ppts experience momentary/slight pain -> must be put under anaesthesia
• no long term damage
• reward clearly needs to be worth any risk

Question 12

what is informed consent?

Answer 12

• backbone of ethical practises
• means ppts can enter research voluntarily with full information about what they are taking part in

Question 13

what ethical issues are raised from the Neubauer Twin Experiments?

Answer 13

• three identical strangers study
• orphan twins split up
• no informed consent
• no protection from harm

Question 14

what ethical issues are raised from The Los Alamos Plutonium Experiments?

Answer 14

• injection experiment
• between 1945 - 1947, people were unknowingly injected with plutonium during unrelated GP visits
• left to die
• no informed consent
• no protection from harm

Question 15

what ethical issues are raised from the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment (1932 – ’72)?

Answer 15

• gathered black ppts
• infected them with syphilis
• lied about treatment (gave placebo drug)

Question 16

what ethical issues are raised from the HeLa Cells experiment?

Answer 16

• doctors took samples of Henrietta Lacks cancerous cells
• gave tissue to researcher without consent
• in the lab, her cells turned put to have extraordinary capacity to survive and reproduce (immortal)
• whilst her cells became a workhorse of biological research, no consent was given by Lacks