Abstract:
The use of animal models, particularly mice and rats, is a well established practice in biomedical research, aiming usually at characterizing biological processes or testing drugs and treatments in non humans before trying if they are applicable to humans. Such use of animals is based on the existence of genetic similarities between human and rodents, since human biological processes are assumed to be analogue with animals. Animal bodies are treated as substitute or representative of human bodies in experiments, but this does not mean they are only cognitive representations: they are also incarnations of actions and practices that guide scientific questions and interrogations. This paper intends to explore the practical means of production of animal models: how animals become carriers of diseases relevant to humans? How to make their bodies commensurate to ours?
Keywords:
animal model; biomedical research; human animal relations; scientific practice