The Impact of Biotechnology on Animals
a journey through the lives of animals and how they benefit humans...
Pro Test supports animal testing and, "aimed to dispel the irrational myths promoted by anti-vivisectionists and to encourage people to stand up for science and human progress" Check out the link for more information:
People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals is an animal rights organization that opposes animal experimentation. According to organization,"animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment or abuse in any way." It claims to have 300 million supporters, and is said to be the largest animal rights corporation in the world. Check out the link for more information:
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Animal Biotechnology has the potential to provide a countless amount of benefits such as the improved health of humans and animals, varied medical treatments, enhanced nutritional content, agricultural savings and a more abundant food supply. However,despite such benefits animal biotechnology faces many oppositions. Reasons for opposition include animal wefare, enviornmental effects, and most importantly the potential health effects to humans.Opiniated articles are a major reason behind the public opposition as well as public support.
LISTED BELOW ARE A FEW ARTICLES THAT DESCRIBE EVENTS RELATED TO ANIMAL ETHICS:
"Horseshoe Crab Blood Is Vital To Pharmaceutical Companies, But Now
Populations Are Falling": Article informs every drug approved by the FDA must have a LAL Testing done;the international screening test for bacterial contamination. The crabs are captured, harvested for their biomedical purposes, and returned to captivity. READ MORE
"Forty reasons why we need animals in research": provides forty reasons as to why animals should be used in research. With the aid of statistics, general points, regulations, and quotes the article lists accessible points for a supporter. READ MORE
WEBSITES TO CONSIDER:
Advantages
Traditional breeding is not as effortless as often thought; a male may injure the female as he is much larger than her, a unwilling female may harm a male, or diseases may be transmitted. By applying cloning techniques, a farmer can successfully intorduce biological traits quickly, without the risks that often accompady traditional breeding. Currently, cattle, pig, sheep, and goats have been cloned. Chickens or other poultry have not been cloned. FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/
Before the development of genetic mutation, farmers relied on selective breeeding to obtain the desired characteristics in animals. Transgenesis allows animals such as pigs to be economically sufficent for both the farmers and the consumer, as well allows them to be an significantly accurated disease models FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/margawati.html
The possiblilty that transgensis has an impact on the enviornment relies on its phenotype rather than its transgenic origin. If the phenotype decreases the chance or improves the chance of survival,it dramatically alters the survival of other species. FOR MORE INFORMATION: ftp://ftp.fao.org/es/esn/food/GMtopic5.pdf
Out of 100,000 genes suryed by Professor of Biology Rudolf Jaenisch,it was found that approximately one in every 25 genes was abnormally expressed in placentas from cloned mice, and to a lesser extent the liver of cloned animals.The results signify the many factors that may alter the entire genome of a cloned animal. FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2002/cloning-0911.html
Disadvantages
1) Over 95% of cloning attempts fail and birth defects and physical impairments can result
3) Artificial insemination requires extra labor and staff with professional training
Artifical Insemination in Farm Animals is a book by a Laurence Merrian Winter. The book contains detailed and recent information on the artificial insemination in buffalos, ewes, pigs, swine, sheep, goats, pigs and dogs. The book vividly explains the advantages and disadvantages of using artificial insemination, the various methods used in AI, and how the insemination can improve fertility among farm animals. FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.intechopen.com/books/artificial-insemination-in-farm-animals
4) Animal tissue culture requires an immense ammount of labor and material, however results in very little tissue. The characteristic for which the tissue has been isolated also has the possibility to be lost.
artificial insemination is a process in which sperm is manually delivered into the reproductive tract of a female. AI reduces the risk of having an agressive male on premise, reduces the risk of transmitting disease, and is a much sanitary process than natural mating. Find more information on: http://animalsmart.orgartificial-insemination
Contrary to popular belief,the concept of making live cells separated from the original tissue was actually discovered in the 19th century. If conditions are accurately controlled,cultured cells can be used in further research. Animal culture provides a more legal, moral, and ethical alternative to animal experimentation than using actual animals. FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.edurite.com/kbase/advantages-of-animal-tissue-culture
2) Introduction of a transgenic animal may alter the enviornment, ultimately affecting the gene pool and evolution of species
Animal tissue culture is much more difficult to develop because, unlike microorganisms they require much more nutrients and must adhere to special surfaces to grow. They prefer to grow on glass, or on specially treated plastics with negatively charged groups. Most cells that adhere to surfaces only grow to a limited span, and stop developing after majority of cells die FOR MORE INFORMATION ON TISSUE CULTURE: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK21682/
1) Animal cloning can help extend the reproductive potential of animals with desired characteristics
2) Transgenic animals can be modified to fit the specific economic needs of humans.
ex: disease resistent pigs, with leaner meat
3) Artificial insemination increases the rate of conception in female animal and is a cost effective method to acquire the maximum use out of better-quality sires
4) Animal tissue culture allows for the manipulation of the enviornment required for the tissue to develop and has the capability to meet the global demand of meat without the need to kill animals
Animal Biotechnology is a facinating technique that has both supporters and opposers. Listed below are the reasons behind its popularity
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ANIMAL CLONING
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TRANSGENIC ANIMALS
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ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION
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ANIMAL TISSUE CULTURE
CITATION 3
Many people oppose animal biotechnology for various reasons some of which may be due to religion, food safety, morals, or enviornmental concerns. To the left is a graph that reveals the reaction of the public on the topic of animal cloning. While somewhat of the population favor animal cloning or are not aware of the decision they would make, about 58 percent of population strongly opposed the decision to clone animals. Such a strong opposition signifies, that animal cloning is not recieving the firm support it needs to progress in biotechnology.
REACTION OF PUBLIC TO ANIMAL CLONING
Note: The survey was coducted by the Roper Center of Public Opinion Archives. For more information, visit the site: http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/data_access/tag/medical_research.html
ANIMAL EXPERIMENTING; ETHICAL OR SHOULD BE BANNED?
Animal Friends Croatia is a campaign whose prime motive is to persuade others about the disadvantages of animal research and as a result their information is subjective. Despite the partiality, however, the graph does provide some useful information on how the public views animal experimentation. According to the graph, 73% of the surveyed population is against animal experimentation and wants to ban it. Such an immense amount of opposition implies that the majority of population believes animal experimentation to be an unethical and immoral way of conducting biotechnology research
Note: This survey was conducted by the Animal Friends Croatia (AFC). For more information,visit the site: http://www.prijatelji-zivotinja.hr/index.en.php
ISSUES RELATED TO ANIMAL SCIENCE
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