Animal testing

Animal testing uses live animals in experiments to study biology, disease, or the safety and effects of products and treatments.

Animal model: A nonhuman organism used to study biological processes or model human disease. Experimental animals serve as models when their biology can illuminate human conditions.
Preclinical research: Research conducted before a treatment or product is tested in humans. Animal studies can contribute evidence about safety and biological effects before clinical trials.
In vitro: Research conducted outside a living organism, such as in cells, tissues, or laboratory vessels. In vitro methods can answer some questions without exposing a live animal to an experiment.
Animal rights: The view that animals have moral rights that constrain how humans may use them. Animal-rights arguments challenge whether research benefits can justify using animals at all.
In vivo: Research conducted within a living organism. Animal testing is an in vivo approach, unlike experiments confined to cells or tissues.
Toxicology: The study of harmful effects caused by chemicals, drugs, and other agents. Toxicology uses animal tests to investigate hazards and dose-related effects.
Organoid: A three-dimensional cell culture that reproduces selected structural or functional features of an organ. Organoids model some human biology and may reduce reliance on animal models.
Speciesism: Discrimination that assigns moral standing or consideration based on species membership. Debates about testing often ask whether species differences justify unequal treatment.
Three Rs: The principles of replacement, reduction, and refinement guide the ethical use of animals in research. These principles shape decisions about whether and how an animal experiment proceeds.
Drug discovery: The process of identifying and developing candidate medicines. Animal studies may test candidate drugs' effects and risks before human trials.

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