The article talks about what vivisection is, when such operations were first carried out, and why they are needed.
Science
The number of biological species that inhabit our planet is amazingly diverse. Even ancient scientists were interested in how the organisms of animals and people are arranged. Due to the limited knowledge and means, most of their research consisted in studying the structure of internal organs and their purposes. But even in our time, with all the abundance of scientific technology, we know far from everything about the structure of biological organisms. And one of the ways that helps to understand this is vivisection. What kind of method it is, what varieties of it are, we will analyze in this article.
Definition
Vivisection is a surgical operation that is performed on various animals in order to study the functions of their internal organs and the body as a whole. It was first mentioned in historical documents dating back to the 2nd century AD. It is also used when it is necessary to check the effect or effect of the use of some new drugs. It is carried out, among other things, for educational purposes to demonstrate the structure of the dissected organisms to students of institutes and otherspecialized educational institutions. That's what vivisection is for. What are these methods, we now know. Similar experiments are being carried out, by the way, in some schools, and most often the common frog is the subject of research.
Distortion of the concept
In our time, this concept is often distorted by people who are far from science, calling vivisection any experiments on animals (including those that are carried out without surgical intervention in their body), which lead to a violation of he alth. For example, testing the toxicity of cosmetics, new drugs, household chemicals, and so on - all this cannot be called the term "vivisection". What is it and what is it for, we figured it out.
Public opinion
In a number of developed countries, social movements constantly arise that oppose the use of living beings to test new drugs and treatments in general. As we already know, it is not entirely correct to call these experiments vivisection, nevertheless, this word eventually became almost synonymous with something cruel and inhuman.
This is a complex ethical issue, and it is very difficult to treat it unambiguously. On the one hand, it is inhumane to use living beings, even if they are unintelligent, for various experiments. But on the other hand, it is precisely such actions that make it possible to advance science, invent new medicines, antidotes and much more that saves people's lives. Yet vivisection is the opening of the whole animal or a more minor surgical intervention withthe purpose of studying his body, usually under anesthesia, rather than testing and experimenting on animals. These terms should not be confused. What is vivisection, we now know.
Vivisection restriction
It is generally accepted that such animal protection movements have arisen recently, but this is not entirely true. The first such organization was founded back in 1883 in the United States. The reason for this was the Animal Welfare Act adopted in England.
Initially, this movement advocated only the restriction of vivisection. However, a few years later, his goal changed to the complete abolition and prohibition of such an action as vivisection. What it is, we now know.
And by the way, in France, Victor Hugo himself advocated a ban on such experiments.
If we talk about our country, then in 1977 a law was passed in the USSR, according to which it was forbidden to perform autopsies and any other surgical interventions on the bodies of animals without prior anesthesia.
Vivisection. How insects work
In 2012, a documentary scientific film was released on television, telling about the structure and life of insects. With the help of modern research methods and powerful microscopes, the film shows in detail the internal structure of insects, how their organs work and other interesting facts. It is designed for the widest audience and will be of interest even to those who had little interest in science before.
Vivisection. Synonym
There are not many synonyms for this word. Dictionaries give the following: live section, autopsy, operation on a living organism.
Experiments on people
Officially, vivisection of humans was never even considered. However, in world history there are still such horrific cases, all of them occur during the Second World War. This was done by doctors in Nazi Germany, using concentration camp prisoners as experimental subjects. At the end of the war, most of these "doctors" appeared as defendants at the Nuremberg Trials and received their well-deserved punishment.
The doctors of the special unit "Detachment 731" of the Japanese Imperial Army also carried out similar things. They were engaged in the development and methods of conducting bacteriological warfare. And the experimental "material" were also prisoners of war. Vivisection was carried out both on he althy people and on those who had already experienced bacteriological effects. In addition, Japanese scientists have studied the effects of ultra-low and high temperatures on people. According to testimonies, no anesthesia was often used.
Fortunately, in our time, such experiments are prohibited by all countries. However, like a number of others, much more humane, but ambiguous from an ethical point of view.
So we have analyzed the meaning of the word "vivisection", what it is and why it is used.