The ethics of research involving animals - Nuffield Council on ...

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
Stem cells: Undifferentiated cells, which can divide indefinitely and produce either more stem
cells or cells that commit to becoming more specialised (differentiated) cell types.
Stereotypy: A repeated, relatively invariant sequence <strong>of</strong> movements that have no obvious
function.
Stroke: A sudden disabling attack or loss <strong>of</strong> consciousness caused by either an interruption in the
flow <strong>of</strong> blood to the brain or bleeding into the brain.
Subcellular: Situated or occurring within the cell.
Synovium: <strong>The</strong> cellular membrane lining joints.
T cells: Lymphocytes <strong>of</strong> the immune system that derive from the thymus gland. <strong>The</strong>y make cellmediated
immune responses rather than antibody responses.
Telemetry: <strong>The</strong> automatic measurement and transmission <strong>of</strong> data by radio or other means from
remote sources. This is used for recording and analysis.
Teratogenicity: Capacity to cause malformations <strong>of</strong> an embryo.
Three Rs: Reduction, refinement, replacement.
Tissue: Any <strong>of</strong> the coherent collections <strong>of</strong> specialised cells <strong>of</strong> which <strong>animals</strong> or plants are made,
such as muscular or vascular tissue. Tissues are combined to make organs, such as the brain
and liver.
Tissue culture: Tissues maintained in a culture dish.
Toxicity: Capacity to cause harm to cells or organisms.
Toxicogenomics: A scientific sub-discipline concerned with the influence <strong>of</strong> genes in determining
susceptibility to specific toxins.
Transgenic animal: An animal that has been genetically modified.
Utilitarianism: A form <strong>of</strong> Consequentialism. <strong>The</strong> philosophy states that the best actions are those
that produce most overall happiness or pleasure.
Vaccine: An antigenic preparation used to stimulate immune responses in order to protect an
individual against a disease —usually an infectious disease. Experimental vaccines to treat some
cancers are being tested in trials.
vCJD (variant CJD): A form <strong>of</strong> transmissible spongiform encephalopathy in humans caused by
BSE prions.
Vertebrates: Animals with a backbone.
Virulent: (<strong>of</strong> a pathogen) capable <strong>of</strong> causing serious disease.
Wild type: A form <strong>of</strong> an organism, strain, gene, or characteristic, as it occurs in nature.
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