Technically humans are animals,
so what's the big difference?
Whereas all animal cells have properties in
common - a nucleus, mitochondria and so on -
we now know that even smaller idiosyncrasies
distinguish the way the cells of different species
react to food, environment and medicines. Failed
animal experimentation has irrevocably proven
that tiny differences can prevent disease in
one species or enable it in another. The smallest
biological differences between humans and animals
lead to lethal errors when applying animal data
to humans. White blood cell surface receptors,
for example, leave humans uniquely vulnerable
to AIDS. Even the animal experimenters' bible,
The Handbook of Laboratory
Animal Science, states:
"It is impossible
to give reliable general rules for the validity
of extrapolation from one species to another.
[This] can often only be verified after the
first trials in the target species [humans].
Extrapolation from animal models. . . will
always remain a matter of hindsight."[3]
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