What are the alternatives to testing on animals?


One example is in-vitro studies, where experiments are performed on cell and tissue cultures, instead of on animals. Another example is computer simulations which predict the toxicity of chemicals based on their molecular structure. Other examples include epidemiologic studies and clinical research.

Even researchers who strongly advocate the continued use of animal testing generally agree that the number of animal tests can be significantly reduced if alternative methods were used more widely.

 

Follow up questions:

Do animal rights supporters refrain from using life saving drugs which were developed through animal testing?

Aren't there laws regulating the use of animals in laboratories?

What if the cure to cancer could be produced by a hypothetical experiment on just a single animal?

Aren't animals also killed during the harvesting of crops and the construction of roads?

How is experimenting on animals any different from other situations where humans kill animals for survival?

What if you were in a burning building and could only save your child or your dog?

 

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