The ethics of research involving animals - Nuffield Council on ...
The ethics of research involving animals - Nuffield Council on ...
The ethics of research involving animals - Nuffield Council on ...
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T h e e t h i c s o f r e s e a r c h i n v o l v i n g a n i m a l s<br />
Chimera: An organism made up <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> cells derived from two genetically distinct organisms.<br />
Chromosome: A large DNA molecule and its associated proteins in the nucleus <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a cell. Genes are<br />
specific sequences within the DNA molecule.<br />
Circadian: Occurring or recurring about <strong>on</strong>ce per day.<br />
Cl<strong>on</strong>ing: Gene cl<strong>on</strong>ing is the process <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> amplifying (making further copies <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>) a single gene<br />
sequence. Animal cl<strong>on</strong>ing is the process <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> producing virtually genetically identical <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
(cl<strong>on</strong>es).<br />
C<strong>on</strong>sequentialism: A philosophical approach by which the moral value <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> individual human<br />
acti<strong>on</strong>s, or rules for such acti<strong>on</strong>s, is determined primarily by their outcome.<br />
Cortical: Of or relating to the cerebral cortex.<br />
Cortisol: Horm<strong>on</strong>e produced by adrenal cortex, which is <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten used to assess the degree <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> stress<br />
in an animal.<br />
Cytotoxicity: Toxicity to cells.<br />
De<strong>on</strong>tology: Philosophical theory in which certain acti<strong>on</strong>s are right or wr<strong>on</strong>g independent <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
their outcome. Instead, their rightness or wr<strong>on</strong>gness is defined by a formal system, which defines<br />
certain acti<strong>on</strong>s as intrinsically right or wr<strong>on</strong>g.<br />
Disease phenotype: <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> observable characteristics <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a disease.<br />
DNA: Deoxyrib<strong>on</strong>ucleic acid; genes are specific regi<strong>on</strong>s within the DNA molecules that c<strong>on</strong>trol the<br />
inherited characteristics <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> an organism.<br />
cDNA (Complementary DNA): single-stranded DNA produced from messanger RNA sequences,<br />
which means that it c<strong>on</strong>tains <strong>on</strong>ly the sequences that code for proteins.<br />
Drugs: Medicinal substances.<br />
Efficacy: <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> ability to produce a particular desired effect.<br />
Embryo: An early stage <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> animal or plant development.<br />
Endocrine system: A system <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> glands in the body and the secreted horm<strong>on</strong>es that they produce.<br />
Endogenous opioid: Morphine-like substance which is made naturally within the body.<br />
Endpoint: <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> stage in an experiment or test where the procedure is terminated. Where<br />
experiments increase suffering, <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g> should be killed as early as possible. This is described as<br />
operating a ‘humane endpoint’.<br />
Etiology: <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> study <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> the causes <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> disease.<br />
Euthanasia: Literally: ‘good death’. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> act <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> killing a human or other animal in as painless a way<br />
as possible.<br />
Experiment: Part <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a methodological <str<strong>on</strong>g>research</str<strong>on</strong>g> project with the aim <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> answering a particular<br />
theoretical questi<strong>on</strong>.<br />
Fecundity: Fertility, the capacity for producing <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fspring.<br />
Fibroblasts: A comm<strong>on</strong> cell type found in vertebrate <str<strong>on</strong>g>animals</str<strong>on</strong>g>. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>y are comm<strong>on</strong>ly used in<br />
experiments, as they proliferate freely in culture.<br />
Gene: A regi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> DNA that c<strong>on</strong>trols an inherited characteristic <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> an organism.<br />
Gene expressi<strong>on</strong>: <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> process by which informati<strong>on</strong> c<strong>on</strong>tained in a gene is transcribed to produce<br />
functi<strong>on</strong>al RNA molecules, which are then translated into proteins. Only a subset <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> an organism's<br />
genes are expressed in any <strong>on</strong>e cell type.<br />
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