Recently in biology class, we dissected rats. I found it exciting and a great learning experience, but I found that not everyone thinks the same while doing some research online. Many people believe dissection is cruel to animals, and schools should not force students to dissect animals. Many people also think that animal dissection is gross; some people end up fainting or throwing up. This did not happen in my class, but other people shared their dissection stories online.
In Alexandria during the third century B.C., the first documented scientific dissection on a human took place. Anatomy was explored mainly through the dissection of animals, primarily pigs, and monkeys. The church did not ban anatomy, but social authorities rejected dissecting human corpses. This lasted until the 12th and 13th centuries. During the 17th century, people would build an anatomical theater in many cities. These anatomical theaters held dissection presentations that both rich and poor attended. During the eighth century, dissection was seen more often in schools.
I do not have a problem with dissection; I think it is a great learning experience. I do not believe the world would be where it is today without the dissection of animals. Dissection teaches students about medicine and different parts of the body. It also teaches students if they would enjoy being in the medical field. The rats we dissected in the class were already dead from previous medical experience. Most cats that are dissected are from animal shelters that were put down. When I think about innocent animals dying, it makes me sad, but I think high school and college students need to dissect animals to continue to learn about anatomy.
If you are a student who does not want to participate in dissection, it is your choice. The dissection choice law protects kindergarten through high school. This allows students the right to refuse to participate in classroom experiments like dissection.
If you are a freshman, are you looking forward to dissection next year? Why or why not?
If you have dissected something before, what were your thoughts on it?
Do you think dissection is animal cruelty or should be banned? If yes why?
https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/the-argument-against-high-school-animal-dissections
Replies
Excellent topic choice as it's very timely! Grweta job overall! I didn''t realize students had a choice. Do teachers mention this to students before the dissection unit?
I didn't think much of it when I disected an animal and I don't think it's cruel because it teaches us more about the animal and how it lives and what it eats. I think we learn so much about how an animal lives if we disect and learn about it. Some doctors examine dead humans to learn how they died and we could learn that about animals to.
I didn't think much of it either; I didn't even know people felt this way until I did some further research. I also do not think dissection is cruel.
I didn't think that the dissection was that bad, but I have also gutted other animals other than rat we dissected in class. I think that dissection is definitely important, for science especially. I think it really helps students and other people understand the anatomy of animals. I also don't think it is animal cruelty if the animals are already dead. Also, I think that there would be too much of some of these animals if we didn't disect them.
I agree, for example there are no big predators to deer in Iowa, so if we didn't have hunters hunting them they would be overpopulated. I also agree that dissection is not animal cruelty.
I have dissected a lot of creatures before in past school years. I see it as gross and I don't really want to do so, but I have to or I don't get my grade. I think it's uneccesary and should be optional if you want to do it or not. Anyone can look up the insides of any animal online to understand what it looks like without having to cut them open themselves. It's cruel because most of the animals used for dissection are bred for it. They mature and are killed to be preserved and dissected by kids. I think they should all die of natural causes or a illness before being dissected. Dissecting a animal who has a illness or disease might be more interesting and provide other things to look out for.
I also think that dissecting an animal that has disease is more interesting and a good learning experience. In my science class one of the rats had cancer. This made it a great learning experience to learn about how cancer is an abnormal cell growth, and to actually see that.
Im not really excited for dissection just for the fact that its disgusting and i don't see the point. I don't think its animal crulety except if you kill them just to dissect them. If they are already dead then it's fine.
It was not as disgusting as I thought it would be, during the process you learn alot about organ and muscle placement!
I thought it was very interesting dissecting the rat, it was a little gross but nothing too much, the smell didn't bother me that much. I believe that dissection is not animal cruelty because the animal is already dead, although I did feel bad dissecting it at first then I adjusted to it. I don't believe that dissection should be banned because it helps students learn about the anatomy of specimens.
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