Animal Testing and Research Ethics (broadcast Friday, February 29th, 2008)

Human liver cells are dotted across the new DataChip to quickly determine if various chemicals, drugs, and drug candidates are toxic. Moo-Yeal Lee/Rensselaer

One of the most contentious topics in medical research is the issue of experimentation on animals. It's a topic in which middle ground can be hard to find.

Animal models are used in many types of research, from testing new surgical procedures to establishing toxicity levels for chemical compounds. In this hour, we'll talk about the issue of performing medical experiments on animals. How well do animal models predict what might happen in humans? What alternatives to animal testing are there, and how well do they work? Are there times when animal research is clearly justified? Join Joe Palca and guests in this segment for a discussion of animal testing, alternatives to testing, and research ethics. Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.