Animals in research

In good scientific practice the design of an experiment is determined by what the scientist hopes to discover. While most biomedical research does not use animals, some questions about how a drug works or how the body functions, can only be answered by studying a whole-body system.

The findings of any scientific research are only meaningful when the limitations of the methods are understood. When animals are used to model human illnesses it is vital that the researcher understands both the differences and similarities between the animal and the human condition.