Animals should not be dissected for academic purposes.

Introduction

Animal dissection is something that is being followed as a tradition in to the field of biology and zoology. The animal dissection has led to the growth of medical and zoological field with many new findings coming every now and then. This animal dissection starts at the academic level in the senior secondary level education in the biology, where the students learn the various life cell components. White rats, cockroaches are the few species that get slaughtered to fulfil the academic and educative point of view for the students and the teaching faculties. These animals too are living forms and experience the same amount of pain and agony while being butchered by the students. Is it wise enough to kill a living animal for our selfish needs? Though some feel that to be okay with advancing medical field, still there are few others who feel animals should not be dissected for academic purposes. Let us check the reasons why animals should not be dissected for academic purposes:

For :

1. There are specific species laid out on the syllabus by the education board to be used for dissection like white rats. Still due to the unavailability, normal species of house rats are used for the dissection which is a carrier of lot many infections.
2. The animals do have life and they are also protected by the agency like ‘blue cross’ foundation. It is unfair to kill a life form just to fulfil our day-to-day needs.
3. Animal testing and dissections include cruel treatments like forceful feeding, forced inhalation or food and water deprivation, which is completely unacceptable.
4. Alternative mode of testing can be done on test tubes under artificial medium.
5. Human and animal body systems differs, so it would not provide the exact knowledge of the human body.
6. Even under the religious point of view it is unacceptable to dissect animals.
7. It is difficult for the students to carry on the dissection during the examination, as the chances of spilling increases which leads the students under high stress.

Against :

1. Animal dissection is the first step amongst the students to have the practical knowledge of body systems and their functioning.
2. Animal dissection has led to the expansion of the medical research.
3. Animal dissection and testing have paved way for cure and treatment of various diseases.
4. Animals do have similar life systems as humans and make better subjects for study due to their shorter life span as compared to humans.
5. Animal dissection is the initial step towards the choice of their stream for the higher academic studies.
6. Many of the religious beliefs are overlooked for being superstitious. Then how come the animal testing and dissection not be the superstition?