Tag: Animals

Five Humane Alternatives to Animal Testing

Posted on by andrew

Stephanie W., Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

 

Animals have played a crucial role in many scientific breakthroughs. After all, we have many similarities with lab rats, including sharing similar organ systems, around 85% of our DNA, and we are susceptible to similar illnesses and diseases. This allows scientists to observe how a vaccine, for example, would react in a human body without putting a human at risk. Although animal testing may seem like a good idea, it’s actually notorious for being inhumane, unreliable, expensive, and requires large amounts of manpower. Unfortunately, despite the numerous restrictions already in place to reduce the involvement of animals in experiments, millions of animals are still subjected to tests. As a result, there are currently around 50 alternatives to animal testing currently being studied, but only a few seem likely to be implemented. Here are some possible viable replacements for animal testing:  

 

 

  1. Computer Modeling 

 

It is also known as in silico tests. Computers and software now have the capability of predicting how a drug may react in a human body. Models of many organ systems can be used obtained from previous experiments and already known data in order to simulate the possible irritants and reactants caused by a drug. While they’re not a perfect substitute for animal testing, they’re capable of reducing the number of animals needed during experimenting. 

 

 

  1.   3D Cell Culture and Organs-on-Chips

 

To understand our body, we need to see it as one large system with many interconnected parts. This is where the 3D cell culture comes in. With the help of a computer microchip, known as Organs-on-Chips, the model is capable of mimicking structures and functions of the human tissue as it would be within the human body. As a result, the model can predict the various effects of a drug on a living organ. 

 

 

  1.   In Vitro Cell Culture 

 

In vitro cell cultures involve taking samples of cells from an animal or plant and growing it outside of the body in a controlled environment (usually a laboratory). These cells are important for observing the immediate and specific effects of a drug. Under the right conditions, the cells have the potential to last up to years outside the body, allowing the effects to be observed over a longer period. 

 

 

  1.     Organotypic Models 

 

This testing method is a little more gory than the rest. It involves using organs obtained from slaughterhouses instead of live animals. Although no live animals are harmed using this method, there are many downsides. Given that the organs are from dead animals, its ability to replicate how a drug would work in a living being is significantly worse. 

 

 

  1. Cell Based Tests and Tissue Modeling Tests 

 

Cell-based and tissue modeling provide information on how the skin or tissue possible irritants or reactions an ingredient might evoke. These models are developed using human skin obtained from surgery and post-mortems (tissue obtained after a person’s death) and can be used as a substitute for rabbit irritation tests. During testing, the skin is stretched so that it replicates the skin of a living person. 

 

Alternatives to animal testing is becoming a more viable option, as it is equally as accurate, more cost-effective, and easier to carry out. With more and more new alternatives being discovered, the possibility of eliminating animal testing altogether seems hopeful. Animal testing has led to so many lives being saved, but technologies have advanced far enough for it to be our turn to save theirs. 



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Arguing Humanity in the Animal Kingdom

Posted on by andrew

Jihu Lee (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

 

It’s common for people to have witnessed eerily human behavior from an animal, especially their pets. My own dogs have shown a range of what is considered typically human behaviors such as spite, empathy and speech comprehension. There have been countless moments when we can argue that dogs are just as intelligent as people – if not more so at times. Indeed, dogs are one of the most intelligent beings in the animal kingdom. Dogs and people also share scientific similarities that can contribute to their respective intelligence levels. In scientific clinical studies of Alzheimer’s disease in humans, dog models provide a useful parallel with the canine ‘equivalent’ of the disease, known as Canine Cognitive Dysfunction. 

Among animals as a whole however, there is certainly a wider range of variation in brain structure that leads to different levels of sentience. Many species of animals do not possess the higher order brain functions that are characteristic of humans, endowing us with emotion, speech processing and memory. Thus, we can say that fundamental differences do exist between humans and animals. 

In one of my classes this semester called Ethics, Drugs, and Society, we have discussed the ethical dilemma of whether animals are considered to have the same moral standing as human beings, or if they have moral standing at all. In our society, humans are generally deemed as ‘superior’ over animals. Even the countless number of people who wouldn’t dare hurt an animal themselves end up complying to this standard by eating foods made from animals or owning items made from animal skin or fur. One could even argue that owning pets and domesticating animals is a form of assertion of superiority. 

That being said, the belief that humans are ‘superior’ to animals largely stems from the fact that animals are fundamentally different from humans and do not possess abilities to speak or communicate clearly with us. If animals did have such capabilities, I am sure our perception of human ‘superiority’ would change. 

While acknowledging fundamental differences between humans and animals is one conversation, deciding whether those differences warrant empathy for animals is another. Just because an animal cannot vocalize pain or other emotions in a way that humans can understand should not give us a pass to disregard their well-being. Many animal rights activists firmly hold this belief and abstain from participating in any activity that warrants harm to an animal, including eating animal products. Although it would be difficult for everyone to unanimously agree on an ethical code for animals, I personally believe we should remember that the moral ‘superiority’ of humans is largely a social construct and that harming animals is not warranted just because one happens to be a human. In fact, I would strongly argue that humanity has seen a multitude of cases where we are far from being morally superior to animals. 

Again, I think the question of whether humans and animals are really that different has two main parts: fundamental differences between species and the moral implications surrounding those differences. Are humans and animals different in what has been biologically endowed throughout evolution? Yes. Do these differences automatically call for superiority of humans over animals? I wouldn’t say so. But again, in Western society where this belief – subconsciously or not – is ingrained in our culture, it is challenging to come to a consensus for the ethical dilemma. Nevertheless, it is still worth remembering that the differences we are aware of does not justify harmful treatment of animals.

 

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My name is Jihu, and I’m from Salt Lake City, Utah! I have been with Low Entropy since May 2021. Some of the things I love are reading, writing, listening to music, playing with my dogs and spending time with my sister!

The Benefits of Owning a Pet

Posted on by andrew

Eri Ikezawa (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Volunteer Writer

 

After having owned a pet for most of my life, I can honestly say that having one has always been beneficial to me. Despite all of the hardships and challenges that certainly accompany being a pet owner, there is nothing more rewarding than to have a loyal, dedicated animal companion to come home to. 

 

As I mentioned, my family and I have had a pet for most of my life. We got our first dog when I was eleven years old, a sweet golden retriever whom I had with me for my elementary school, high school, and university graduation before he passed on. My family and I were utterly devastated by the loss of him, a staple of our home for so many years, and my parents adamantly did not wish to have any more pets afterwards, the heartbreak having been too much for them. 

 

However, we all noticed the empty spots left behind by our old furry friend, spaces that now seemed vaster than they used to be, the silence collapsing into our home gravely. And eventually, our hearts healed enough that we all agreed that we wanted another companion. 

 

And so, I got my new golden retriever puppy at eight weeks old—small, fluffy, vulnerable and innocent. However, I noticed from the get-go that he seemed much sullener and sulkier after arriving to his new home than what I was used to seeing in puppies; I remember when we had first gotten our old puppy, he had been sad to leave his home where his mother, father, and former litter were, but he’d gotten well-adjusted quickly enough. So, I had been surprised to note that my new little puppy did not adapt quickly to his new home—but then again, I reminded myself, every individual is different. 

 

I quickly realized that, after medical exams came back clear and it was confirmed he wasn’t suffering from any health ailments, that he just seemed to be an anxious individual. When he was stressed, he was prone to biting, barking and whining excessively. There were days where I was so confused and frustrated, absolutely beside myself, not knowing where I had gone wrong with him. 

 

I had properly socialized him with other dogs from the moment I’d gotten him, he was properly crate trained, he’d been potty trained with extreme ease, I’d gone to multiple series of puppy classes with him and I used positive reinforcement. But no matter what I had done right, it felt as though I must’ve done more wrong because his anxious traits grew worse around the eight-month mark. 

 

At that point, he grew a propensity for dog-related aggression—not something he’d demonstrated in the past—and my anxiety tripled with each month that went by. Not only did my consternation multiply, I also began to internalize everything, questioning what and how I could’ve done things differently to mold him into a better well-adjusted dog. 

 

He’s now two and while he still needs work on certain areas of his behavior, he has improved significantly. His dog aggression has decreased, he lets me peacefully cut his nails and shave out his paw pads, and he is more trustworthy all around. He is still quite anxious, especially in uncertain or novel situations, but it has meant the world to me to see his progress. 

 

He is often still a handful and there are days when his anxiety is palpable enough that I absorb it and become intensely anxious myself, but at the end of the day, I would never even consider surrendering him to a shelter—his weaknesses and all. Quite frankly, the pros outweigh the cons—by a landslide. 

 

Firstly, it is truly rewarding—despite the hardships that come with the ownership of a pet as I had mentioned earlier, what you invest is what you get. The loyalty, adoration and dedication a pet has towards you is a direct result of the love, kindness and patience you demonstrate towards them. Each and every day I come home from work, exhausted and occasionally blatantly cranky, my mood instantly brightens when I see his big goofy smile and twinkling eyes greeting me at the door with a howl of excitement, his butt waggling intensely. 

 

Sometimes, when I am sad, feeling out of sorts and world weary, I pat his fluffy body and soft head and the motion of stroking his luxurious coat mitigates that melancholy—a respite when I feel as though I’m just trundling through the motions. 


I cannot say more about how rewarding and comforting it is to own a pet. 

 

Secondly, as one might garner from what he and I have gone through historically as a pet and pet owner, it is truly challenging at times—it is no easy feat to get a pet and raise them from when they are a baby and nurture them into a well-adjusted older pet. It takes an infinite amount of patience and time, which sometimes people are not prepared or well-researched for, leading people to surrender their pets. 

 

But I feel that over the past two years I have truly bore witness to the miracle of patience in waiting out a storm. Not only am I more appreciative of every obstacle we overcome together, but it has taught me to be more temperate and less stressed when I feel the tendrils of an impending tornado coming my way. 

 

I sometimes even consider how strange—and ironically beautiful—it is that a creature that has brought me so many conundrums along the way has also brought me such unadulterated joy at the same time. And in recognizing that, I realized he has taught me an incredibly valuable life lesson—that is, sometimes, no matter what you do completely right, you don’t end up with the ideal or expected results. It has taught me the importance of appreciating that not everything in life is in my control; that the only thing I can control is how I react in order to adapt to it. 

 

And with that said, I can confidently say that owning a pet has been the most unlikely blessing in my entire life. 

 

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My name is Eri Ikezawa and I have an extended minor in psychology and a major in linguistics. I’m still on the path to quelling questions about myself and the direction I want to head in, but in the meantime, I have always wanted to find a way to help others and contribute to a community dedicated to personal development and self-love.