Animal testing: Is it necessary?
rely | react | alternative | justify | proportion
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Do the Math
Do the Math
Many different groups, from makeup companies to cancer research labs, use animal testing. Some look for alternatives to animal tests, while others try to justify their work by saying that animal testing minimizes risk for humans and saves human lives. It is difficult to find reliable statistics about how many animals are used for testing in the U.S. each year, though one estimate is 21 million animals. Some people react differently to animal testing depending on what kind of animal is being used. Experimenting on dogs, for example, may seem worse than using rats. A large proportion of test animals are rats, mice, and other rodents. Some organizations have estimated that 90% of research animals in the U.S. are rodents.
Option 1:
Option 1:
According to the estimates given above, how many of the 21 million test animals are rodents?
A. 17,800,000
B. 18,000,000
C. 18,500,000
D. 18,900,000
Option 2:
Option 2:
The Humane Society has estimated that 2.4 million dogs and cats are euthanized, or killed, each year due to overpopulation. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nearly 100,000 cats and dogs were used for animal testing in 2010.
Based on the information above, fill in the blank:
In 2010, about __________ times as many dogs and cats were euthanized due to overpopulation as were used for animal testing. (Hint: To solve the problem quickly, use exponents.)
Discussion Question:
Discussion Question:
When researchers estimated that 21 million animals were used for testing in the U.S. each year, they were not counting invertebrate animals like shrimp, fish, worms, and flies. Some people say invertebrates aren’t really animals. They think that although invertebrates can react to stimuli (a shrimp, for example, will move away from an electric shock), they cannot feel pain. Invertebrates make up a much larger proportion of test animals than even rats and mice. They are not covered by the rules that help protect vertebrates like cats, rats, and chimps. Can we justify this unequal treatment? Many of us have a gut feeling that a rabbit is worth more than a fruit fly. We kill bugs, but when a pet dies, we’re upset. Can we rely on these feelings to help us make fair decisions about animal testing? Or should we develop an alternative system that treats all animals the same?
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