A researcher wants to study fetal alcohol syndrome, a set of deficits in the offspring caused by maternal drinking during pregnancy, by randomly assigning pregnant mice to alcohol and no alcohol groups. Which of the following is the BEST reason for using mice instead of people for this study?
A) Mice consume larger amounts of alcohol relative to their body weight than humans do.
B) You don't need to have the approval of an ethics committee in order to study mice.
C) Although ethical standards for animal research still apply, some research considered completely unethical for humans can be conducted with animals.
D) Mice are so much like people that there's no reason to study people.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Using animals in certain types of research that would be considered completely unethical for humans is a valid reason for choosing mice over people. While A may be true, it's not necessarily the best reason for using mice over people. B is true, but it's not a valid scientific reason for choosing mice over people. D is false, as mice are not exactly like humans and it's important to study the effects in both animals and humans.

A Researcher Wants to Study Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, a Set