Is it justified to use animals in scientific experiments Explain your answer basis your experience and knowledge and suggest alternatives if any

Progress

in science has vastly improved the living standards of humans in the

last

couple of centuries.

Progress

in science rests on scientific discoveries which are not possible unless one is willing and able to test and sharpen the new theories and knowledge via practical

experiments

. These

experiments

, especially in the preliminary stages, are more risky for its subjects

due to

the majority of unknowns. In the field of medicine, the subjects in the initial stages of inquiry and

experiments

are often

animals

like rats and other mammals as they bear a close resemblance to human DNA structure and

hence

the findings from

experiments

conducted on these

animals

are more relevant to predict the impact on humans. Given these

experiments

essential but risky, the question is that should we subject these

animals

to the

experiments

, is it justified, are there any alternatives? In my opinion,

although

experiments

on

animals

are not preferable but given the lack of alternative, they are essential, as the net outcome is positive as it leads to scientific

progress

and better living conditions for the greater population.

Hence

the stakeholders must walk a fine line to avoid abuse of

animals

and

while

preserving the pace of scientific

progress

.

Hence

we must take steps to minimize the negative effect of these

experiments

on

animals

and there are ways in which various parties like the scientific community, government bodies and NGOs can play a part. There are 2 broad ways of address

this

concern (1) by minimizing the number of

experiments

conducted to only the essential ones (2) by ensuring that we use all the available information and knowledge to minimize the risk of these

experiments

on well being of

animals

. Let's expand: 1) Minimize the number of

experiments

: - Meta database of

experiments

conducted till date and easy accessibility to facilitate collaboration within the scientific community and reduce duplication of

experiments

- Use of AI and similar technologies to create simulations to the extent possible to avoid

experiments

on

animals

. 2) Minimize the negative effect of

experiments

1) Strong justification for the experiment 2) Best practice for conducting

experiments

3) Minimize the unknowns prior to experiment to minimize the risk 4) Sound regulations and legislation to govern the

experiments

With these measures, we can minimize the adverse impact on

animals

without halting the engine of scientific discovery.