Research Writing Exercise:

Animal Research

Use the following simulated notes to create a short paper in which you use the researched information and document it properly. Assume that any material that is not in quotation marks is your paraphrase, which means you can change it further if you wish. All material that is in quotes must be used exactly as is. Remember to introduce the speaker (w/ credentials) of all direct quotes.

In 1901 von Behring won the Nobel Prize in medicine for discovering a diphtheria anti-serum. He used a guinea pig in his research.

"The Payoff from Animal Research" http://www.fbresearch.org.vtl_bin/shtml.exe.nobels.htm.map

"Rhesus monkeys are used in HIV research because they develop a similar virus called simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). SIV is not as harmful to monkeys as HIV is to humans, but the two viruses are closely related and scientists can use the information learned about SIV and relate it to HIV."

William King, DVM, Ph.D. Director of Veterinary Medical Unit Research Service, Hines V.A. Hospital. Personal Interview. January 16, 1999.

One test that animals are given is the Lethal Dose Test, also known as the LD50. This test determines the effects of products on the human skin and lungs. In the test, animals are forced to take a toxic substance that will most likely kill them. Some products are forced down the animals' throats and others are inhaled. After this test animals suffer many symptoms including diarrhea, bloody discharge, convulsions, paralysis, and finally death.

"Animal Abuse." http://shrike.depaul.edu/~azervas1/animalabuse.html.

"Animal welfare is a concept of humaneness. Animals, even though they may not have the same rights as humans, can feel pain and distress and we know that. We should try to minimize that as much as possible regardless of what we are using them for--research, pets, food, or companionship."

 

William King, DVM, Ph.D. Director of Veterinary Medical Unit Research Service, Hines V.A. Hospital. Personal Interview. January 16, 1999.

All animal research labs must have an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). This committee is responsible for evaluating the total animal-care program and studying the animal experiments carefully.

"The Strict Regulations That Govern Research." http://www.aalas,org/fbrv3h2.html

Researchers must tell the committee the number of animals they want to use, what species and why, and how they are going to try to prevent suffering.

"The Strict Regulations That Govern Research." http://www.aalas,org/fbrv3h2.html

The Draze Eye Test measures irritants in certain products. In this test a rabbit's eyelid is pulled up and a pain-causing substance is dropped into the eye. The researcher observes the eye at different intervals to see how the substance affects the eye. Most rabbits used in this test either die or are killed for examination post mortem.

"Animal Abuse." http://shrike.depaul.edu/~azervas1/animalabuse.html.

IACUC can refuse a research proposal or stop a research project if they do not think the lab is using the USDA regulations.

"The Strict Regulations That Govern Research. " http://www.aalas.org/fbrv3h2.html

One set of ethical standards upheld by researchers is called the three R's. These were defined by British zoologist, William M.S. Russell, and microbiologist, Rex L. Burch. They wrote The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique. They define the three R's as "replacement of animals by in vitro, or test-tube, methods; reduction of their numbers by means of statistical techniques; and refinement of the experiment so as to cause less suffering."

Madhusree Mukerjee. "Trends in Animal Research." Scientific American. Feb. 1997, pp. 86, 89, 91.

Twenty years of animal research resulted in effective open-heart surgery techniques, which save 440,000 people's lives each year.

Jack Botting and Adrian Morrison. "Animal Research is Vital to Medicine." Scientific American. Feb. 1997, pp. 83-84.

Test animals (excluding rats, mice, and birds) in the United States in 1995 = 1.4 million.

Madhusree Mukerjee. "Trends in Animal Research." Scientific American. Feb. 1997, pp. 86, 89, 91.

A vaccine discovered using rabbits and mice is effective on Hemophilus influenza type B, which is a major cause of meningitis; the disease killed or severely brain damaged over 800 children a year before 1993.

Jack Botting and Adrian Morrison. "Animal Research is Vital to Medicine." Scientific American. Feb. 1997, pp. 83-84.

Prior to the 1900's, dogs and cats were used in studies to find the treatment for rabies. Rabies is a deadly disease that is transmitted to humans through wild animals and dogs. It causes convulsions and death if not treated properly.

"Advances in Medicine Through Animal Research." http://www.ampef.org/history.htm.

Smallpox vaccine caused two million deaths before researchers found a cure for it. The cure involved studying cows. Smallpox was a dreaded plague in the 1800's.

"Advances in Medicine Through Animal Research." http://www.ampef.org/history.htm.

Scientists using rabbits, rodents, dogs, and monkeys found ways for the immune system to accept donor organs.

Jack Botting and Adrian Morrison. "Animal Research is Vital to Medicine." Scientific American. Feb. 1997, pp. 83-84.

Heparin, a drug extracted from animal tissues and tested on anesthetized animals for safety purposes, is the essential drug used in kidney dialysis. Each year in the United States, approximately 200,000 people require kidney dialysis.

Jack Botting and Adrian Morrison. "Animal Research is Vital to Medicine." Scientific American. Feb. 1997, pp. 83-84.

The use of cats has gone from 65,000 in 1973 to about 30,000 in 1995. The use of dogs has gone from 290,000 in 1973 to about 80,000 in 1995.

Madhusree Mukerjee. "Trends in Animal Research." Scientific American. Feb. 1997, pp. 86, 89, 91.

Chemotherapy, a method of using chemicals to kill diseased cells, is used on cancer patients to help bring about remission, either short-term or possibly permanent. Cancer chemotherapy was developed in the 1950's. Monkeys, rabbits, and rodents were used in the animal research that helped scientists discover chemotherapy.

"Advances in Medicine Through Animal Research." http://www.ampef.org/history.htm.

The Animal Welfare Act sets standards for the care and treatment of laboratory animals. This includes housing, feeding, cleanliness, ventilation, and veterinary care. All facilities that use lab animals must be registered and inspected by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

"The Strict Regulations That Govern Research. http://www.aalas.org/fbrv3h2.html

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