Throughout history, animals have been used in experiments to test the safety of products and gain medical knowledge that benefits both humans and animals. Every year, numerous medical discoveries are made, such as drugs and surgical instruments, which are tested on animals to ensure their safety before they are deemed acceptable for human use. Although the results of the experiments have saved millions of human lives, they are also taking millions of innocent animal lives. The use of animals for scientific experimentation purposes is unnecessary because countless animals are subjected to painful procedures to benefit human life when there are alternative methods known to achieve the same experimental results. Animal testing is not a modern research method; Aristotle was one of the first to use live animals in his research (Thomassen 2). During his time, religion played a major role in society, making people believe that they were the supreme rulers over all other living things on earth, as stated in the Bible. Because of this, humans and animals were not related, and research was conducted only to learn more about non-human species. It was not until 1859 that Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution that human and animal body systems were connected (Thomassen 2). Darwin's theory aroused the interest of many scientists and began the revolution in medical research. Through the use of animals for medical research over the past two centuries, scientists have been able to generate vaccinations and drugs, find innovative surgical methods, and produce medical equipment used to save human lives. Without animal testing, the medical world would not be so...... focus of paper ......lives on animal experiments in medical research." The British Medical Journal 1.5907 (nd): JSTOR SRU gateway. Web. 6 December 2011.Thomassen, Marte et al. “Animal testing in medical research: past, present and future”. nt.ntnu.no Animal testing." AAVS.org. American Anti-Vivisection Society, 2011. Web. 6 December 2011. United States. United States Department of Agriculture. Public Law 89-544. Government Printing Office, 2009. Print."Questions and Answers About Biomedical Research."humanesociety.org. The Humane Society of the United States, 2011. Web. December 6, 2011. Zurlo, Joanna, Deborah Rudacille, and Alan Goldberg. “The Three Rs: The Way Forward.” Environmental Health Perspectives 8th Edition, Vol. 104. CAAT.JHSPH.EDU. 2011.