BY KIM O’CONNOR
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to my seminar on animal
testing. Today I will talk to you
about the history, good and bad
effects of animal testing, and the
alternatives now available. There will
also be some other shocking facts
throughout my seminar. Feel free to
ask any questions you may have.
FACTS ABOUT ANIMAL TESTING
• ANIMAL RESEARCH HAS SAVED LIVES, IMPROVED QUALITY
OF OUR LIVES AND HAS GIVEN DOCTORS’ WAYS OF
DEVELOPING TREATMENT, PREVENTION AND CURE DISEASE.
• SCIENTISTS HAVE DEVELOPED NON-ANIMAL RESEARCH
MODELS TO BE USED FOR SOME RESEARCH. THESE
MODELS ARE USED INSTEAD OF LIVE ANIMALS. THESE
CANNOT BE USED IN ALL CASES.
• APPROXIMATELY 90% OF ANIMALS USED IN RESEARCH ARE
RATS, MICE AND OTHER RODENTS. THIS IS BECAUSE THEY
HAVE A SHORT LIFE SPAN, ARE EASY TO BREED AND THEIR
BODIES ARE SIMILAR TO HUMAN BIOLOGY.
• APPROXIMATELY 300,000 ANIMALS UNDERGO TESTING
PROCEDURES FOR RESEARCH A YEAR IN NEW ZEALAND
LEGISLATION FOR ANIMAL TESTING, TEACHING
AND RESEARCH IN NEW ZEALAND
• THROUGHOUT NEW ZEALAND ANIMALS ARE USED IN
SEVERAL SITUATIONS FOR RESEARCH TESTING AND
TEACHING PURPOSES. UNDER THE ANIMAL WELFARE ACT 1999
AND OTHER ORGANISATIONS THE RESEARCH IS STRICTLY
CONTROLLED BY A CODE OF ETHICAL CONDUCT. THIS CODE
SETS OUT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT SCIENTISTS
MUST ABIDE BY DURING RESEARCH. EVERY PROJECT MUST BE
MONITORED AND BE APPROVED OF BY THE ANIMAL ETHICS
COMMITTEE. DURING RESEARCH THE 3 R’S MUST BE
CONSIDERED. THESE ARE REPLACEMENT, REDUCTION AND
REFINEMENT.
ANIMALS COMMONLY USED
• CATS
• DOGS
• FISH
• DEER
• MICE
• RATS
• BIRDS
• PIGS
• COWS
• GUINEA PIGS
• RABBITS
HISTORY OF MEDICAL ANIMAL TESTING
AND RESEARCH
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1600S WILLIAM HARVEY – BLOOD CIRCULATORY SYSTEM EXPERIMENT
1700S HORSE BLOOD PRESSURE MEASUREMENT – STEPHEN HALES
1700S ANTOINE LAVOISIER – GUINEA PIG RESPIRATORY EXPERIMENT
EARLY 19TH CENTURY LOUIS PASTEUR – SHEEP ANTHRAX EXPERIMENT
LATE 19TH CENTURY EMIL VON BEHRING DIPHTHERIA TOXIN EXPERIMENT
1920S DOGS USED TO RESEARCH CURES FOR DIABETES
1940-1950S RESEARCH GUINEA PIGS TO FIND CURE FOR TUBERCULOSIS
1950S MAMMALS TESTING ANAESTHETICS PRODUCED.
PRIMATES USED FOR EXTENSIVE RESEARCH OF AIDS
1974 GENETIC RESEARCH TOOK PLACE ON MICE
1996 THE 1ST SHEEP TO BE CLONED DOLLY WAS BORN
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ANIMAL NUTRITIONAL RESEARCH
MASSEY UNIVERSITY UNDERTAKE
ANIMAL NUTRITIONAL RESEARCH. THIS
INCLUDES A VARIETY OF ANIMALS, SUCH
AS CATS, DOGS, HORSES, PIGS, POULTRY,
CATTLE AND SHEEP. THIS RESEARCH IS
TO FIND OUT HOW EFFICIENT NUTRITION
OF PET FOOD IS ON ANIMAL GROWTH AND
HEALTH. DURING RESEARCH A VAST
VARIETY OF TESTS ARE UNDERTAKEN,
INCLUDING, TASTE, QUALITY, SHELF LIFE
AND SENSORY ATTRIBUTES.
PROCEDURES ARE DEVELOPED TO
EVALUATE NUTRACEUTICALS,
FUNCTIONAL FOODS AND ENZYME
FUNCTION FOR BOTH HUMAN AND ANIMAL
FOOD INDUSTRIES.
VETERINARY DIAGNOSTIC TESTING
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BIOCHEMISTRY
HAEMOTOLOGY
MICROBIOLOGY
PARASITOLOGY
SEROLOGY
HISTOLOGY
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AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
METHANE RESEARCH- OBJECTIVE IS
TO HELP ELIMINATE AND BREED
ANIMALS WITH LESS METHANE
EMISSIONS.
NITROUS OXIDE RESEARCHOBJECTIVE IS TO REDUCE NITROUS
OXIDE EMISSIONS INTO THE SOIL
THROUGH URINE PATCHES, BY
USING NITRIFICATION INHIBITORS.
RESEARCH TO INCREASE MILK
PRODUCTION IS BEING
INVESTIGATED. SCIENTISTS ARE
SEEING IF THEY CAN MANIPULATE
THE PROTEIN FOR LACTATION TO
MAKE THE COWS PRODUCE MORE
MILK DAILY THAN USUAL.
TYPES
OF
ANIMAL
TESTING
• EYE IRRITANCY
• ACUTE TOXICITY
• REPEATED DOSE TOXICITY
• SKIN CORROSITIVITY / IRRITATION
• SKIN SENSITIZATION
• PHARMACOKINETICS/TOXICKINETICS
AND METABOLISM
• DERMAL PENETRATION
• CARCINOGENICITY
• NEUROTOXICITY
• PYROGENICITY
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ALTERNATIVES TO ANIMAL TESTING
COMPUTER MODELS: DURING THIS PROCEDURE ASPECTS OF THE HUMAN BODY ARE
MODELLED. THESE MODELS CAN FORM REPLICAS OF THE HEART, LUNGS AND OTHER
ORGANS. USING COMPUTER MODELS CAN PREDICT THE EFFECTS OF DRUGS IN
HUMANS.
ORGAN ON A CHIP: THESE ARE MODELS WHICH HAVE A SERIES OF TINY HOLES
(CHAMBERS) CONTAINING HUMAN SKIN. THESE TEST FOR DRUG METABOLISM AND
CAN TEST FOR DISEASE. MODELS HAVE BEEN CREATED SO FAR THAT MIMIC THE
HEART LUNGS AND LIVER.
MICRO DOSING: MEASURES HOW SMALL DOSES OF DRUGS ARE ABSORBED,
DISTRIBUTED, METABOLISED AND EXCRETED IN HUMANS. SMALL DOSES OF DRUGS
GET INJECTED INTO HUMANS AND THEN A BLOOD TEST IS GIVEN LATER TO FIND OUT
THE RESULTS.
QUANTITATIVE STRUCTURE-ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIP MODELS: THESE COMPUTER
SYSTEMS PREDICT THE TOXICITY OF NEW DRUGS AND THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN
COMPOUNDS
EMBRYONIC SKIN CELL TESTING: STEM CELLS ARE USED TO FIND OUT HOW TOXIC A
DRUG IS ON A FOETUS. THIS TEST IS FOUND TO BE 78% ACCURATE, 100% AT
DETECTING TOXIC CHEMICALS IN THIS PROCEDURE, WHERE USING ANIMALS IS ONLY
60% AT DETECTING TOXIC CHEMICALS.
CONCLUSION
Animal testing research has proven to accomplish
many scientific breakthroughs, such as find cure to
disease, make food fit for consumption. The only
downside to it is the party pill and cosmetic testing
that gets done on the animals. Alternatives are a
better option as they are quicker more effective and
cheaper than animal testing. Come on let’s make
animal testing illegal in NZ you can help support
these animals by simply not buying anything that
you know has been tested on animals or by signing
the petition today. The more signatures the better, then
we can hopefully end this once and for all.
Thank you all for attending my seminar I hope I have
informed you of some key points on what goes on in
animal research.
Now Is there any questions?
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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AAVS (2013) RETRIEVED FROM
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BRIGHT HUB INC. (2012) RETRIEVED FROM
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WIKIPEDIA (19 NOVEMBER 2013) RETRIEVED FROM
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BIBLIOGRAPHY CONTINUED
HTTP://WWW.NZAGRC.ORG.NZ/
• HTTP://WWW.MASSEY.AC.NZ/MASSEY/LEARNING/COLLEG
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