GS - 5 Nov ‘10 – Animal Testing Aims:

1. ‘C’ Grade – gain further knowledge of pros & cons of animal testing ‘B’ Grade – understand how to structure answers to questions in section ‘C’ ‘A’ Grade – apply skills to be able to answer a range of questions in section ‘C’ GS - 5 Nov ‘10 – Animal TestingAims:

2. What is Animal Testing? • Animal testing is used to assess the safety and effectiveness of drugs as well as understand how the human body functions. • It is also used for education and training. • Animal testing is used for research, typically in a laboratory environment.

3. Pairs task • Draw up a set of ‘pros’ & ‘cons’ of Animal Testing • Analyse your own opinions – is your personal stance on animal testing a rational one?

4. Arguments against? • Moral:- • Animal rights • Cannot prevent abuse • Animals die • Animals suffer • Practical:- • Can be misleading • Test tube experiments just as good • Animal stress invalidates results • Have to test on humans eventually

5. Arguments for? • Moral:- • Human life of greater value • Legislation protects lab animals • Why so different from farming? • Few animals feel pain prior to death. • Practical:- • Vaccines – rabies, polio, MMR, TB • Antibiotics, HIV drugs, insulin, cancer treatments • Lab animals do react usefully • Development of surgical techiques • Test of organism, not just tissue • DNA match to primates • IT simulations not good enough

6. Sample exam question... • The development of new medicines highlights disagreements about the scientific value of testing new drugs on animals. While many researchers argue that animal testing is unavoidable, there is a strongly held opposing view that animal testing is no longer necessary. • Assess the merits of these two views, including scientific evidence which might support them.

7. How question will be marked:- • 3 assessment objectives: • Demonstrate relevant knowledge and understanding applied to a range of issues, using skills from different disciplines (8 marks) • Marshall evidence and draw conclusions: select, interpret, evaluate and integrate information, data, concepts and opinions (8 marks) • Communicate clearly and accurately in a concise, logical and relevant way (4 marks)

8. Assessment Objective 1 - knowledge • 1 mark each (up to 8) • Some form of drug testing is necessary • Medical knowledge is increased by drug testing • Assumption of animals and humans reacting to drugs in the same way (viz Northwick Park) • Ethically unacceptable to use fellow humans for testing • Historical precedent for animal testing • Public demand for medicines to be safe • Animals have rights, as well as humans • Strict controls on care of lab animals • Emotive topic with extreme views (viz Huntingdon Life Sciences)

9. Assess Obj 2 – relevant arguments • 1 mark each (up to 8) • Purpose of testing, eg.- side effects- efficacy- indicate further research • Pros & Cons

10. Assess Obj 3 – Clarity • Badly expressed, too many grammatical mistakes, or too little written 0 marks • Understandable only in parts. Some irrelevant or inappropriate comment. Weak grammar1 mark • Generally understandable, reasonably written, grammar acceptable 2 marks • Broadly understandable, arguments coherent and relevant 3 marks • Clear & lucid, arguments coherent, well structured 4 marks