Question: why do scientist use animals for experiments?

Matthew Tomlinson answered on 25 Nov 2013:

Use of animals in research is something we try to avoid as much as we can. There are strict guidelines we adhere to and studies have to show a need for animal experiments before they are allowed. If alternatives to animal experiments exist then we should use them, in fact there is a funding body called the NC3Rs which funds research to develop tests that replace the need for animal research.

However sometimes alternatives to animal testing do not exist and in these instances animal experiments are necessary. The reason for this is that to test if a treatment will be effective in humans we have to see if it is effective in animals first before we are allowed to try it in people. This is because very strict rules exist to make sure drugs and medical treatments are effective and not dangerous and sometimes animal experiments are needed to prove safety. We also need to see if a treatment works, sometimes things that work well in the lab don’t work in living organisms and we need to make sure we are developing treatments that actually work.

It is not something we like doing, I don’t know a single researcher who is happy when they use an animal for an experiment, but sadly it is often part of the process we have to go through when we are developing a treatment.

I hope this answers your question.