Animal dissections needed in higher education

When it comes to the topic of using animals for research, I'll be the first to admit, it is unnecessary in some cases, but not all cases.

In my opinion, using animal specimens for dissection in high school classrooms is completely unnecessary. Having taken high school biology, I must say the dissections did not help me ace the final, but that's beside the point. Taking notes and reading the textbook are what really help. So why not just stick to that? The dissection is not completely necessary; there is no point in doing it. Teachers who want their students to participate by doing such things as dissection should look into other options such as 3-D plastic models or interactive computer programs.

College classrooms are a different story. Pre-med classes need to dissect and research animals so that the students can get a real understanding of what it is like to perform surgery, and using plastic models isn't going to cut it. I can't speak for others but I know that if I ever have to go in for surgery, I would like my doctor to have had more experience than with just a plastic 3-D model.

Of course there are cases in which dissection and research are completely necessary. In reality, medical research cannot be done without animals. Would I like to take a stand and say that all animal research is unethical and all of the animals being used for research should be saved? Of course I would. But that wouldn't be very practical. The best we can do is make sure that the regulations governing the use of animals in research are upheld by every institution that insists on doing research.

Ending all animal research could endanger the lives of millions of humans. According to William Newsome, a Stanford University Medical Center neurobiologist, "If people had stopped [animal research] in 1990, people would still be dying of diabetes and crippled from polio. There would be no such thing as open-heart surgery." Ending animal research today could mean stopping the advances against Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, or AIDS. This makes me stop and wonder how humane the animal rights movement really is.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, "2 million to 3 million dogs and 3 million to 4 million cats were put down in 1999 while only 100,000 dogs and cats were used in medical research." The number of animals used in research is miniscule compared to the number of unwanted animals euthanized each year. If you think that fighting against using animals in medical research is the best way to save them, you're wrong. Instead of arguing for their rights, try adopting a cat from your local pound.

Elizabeth Jackson is a first year broadcast journalism major at CSULB.