Science Lesson No. 10

The idea of using animals in research is upsetting to some, but experimentation using cell-types can only get you so far. In The Blow-up Man, Faye and Todd are ready to proceed with testing their lead compound, xe51β, in animals. To ensure the ethical and humane care of the animals is Cullen State’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, or IACUC. The IACUC is responsible for reviewing and approving requests to use live vertebrate animals, and ensuring compliance with all applicable regulations concerning the use of these animals.

Animals play an important role in research, not only because they share the same organ systems we do, but because they can suffer similar diseases as a human. A good example of this is diabetes. Maybe you or someone you know suffers from this, but so might a dog. Animals played a vital role in the development of insulin. Now, it’s a viable treatment option for humans and dogs. Researchers have yet to find a cure for diabetes, so it’s best to stay at a healthy weight, eat right, and stay active. These tactics can prevent or delay its onset. You may be predisposed to it, or other diseases, if it’s in your genes.

You might have heard that we share a large percentage of our DNA with animals. Well, you heard right. We share an amazing 92% of our genes with a mouse, and 98% with the chimpanzee. Perhaps that’s why Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler of The Big Bang Theory uses monkeys in her research. Diseases like diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and many others continue to plague our society. Animal research is needed if we hope to have medical breakthroughs in these areas.

This will be the last of my series Science Lesson. Next time, I plan to discuss how I took plain, ordinary things around my property to describe the eerie Dolce place. I plan to call this series, Home Sweet Home.

(The percentages listed above can be found at the Marian Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences website.)