If there is damage or complete
removal of a particular part of the body, Prosthetic have been put into use to
try to restore some function. Early Egyptians are recorded using this idea of
replacing limbs or appendages with artificial material. Over the years, science
has evolved the artificial material from wood to metal and making it easier and
more comfortable for patients to use them. Animals are being used in the
beginning trials. “Because animals aren’t the intended beneficiaries of this
work doesn’t mean that they won’t benefit along the way.”(Anthes, 142) In many
cases animals have become the patients, and are the sole beneficiaries. Emily Anthes author of Frankenstein’s Cat: Cuddling up to Biotech’s Brave new Beasts,
talks about animals using Prosthetic for health, experimental, emotional
distress, and vanity reasons.
Animals
for many years have been used to help humans better understand appliances and
treatments before they are tested on human beings. However, over recent years
animals have been using prosthetic procedures for their own benefit. Anthes
writes about Winter, who is the tail less dolphin that needed a prosthetic tail
to ensure that she would not further damage spine. Doctors took the challenge
and succeeded by creating a water proof appliance that fit the dolphin perfectly.
Other cases are seen in animals that lose their testicles and are replaced with
silicon testicles. Owners have claimed that their animals have become depressed
based on the loss of their “man hood”, and they hope that the implants will suffice.
Some Veterinarians have started to specialize in plastic surgery for animals. “
Why shouldn't a dog be beautiful? Beauty is desirable. We all like talking to
someone who looks good and smells nice. It’s the same with dogs“ stated a
veterinarian from Brazil. (Anthes, 136)
But the
most interesting topic of the chapter was the future goal that researchers have
for prosthetic. Instead of people having prosthetic that must manually perform
an action, researches are experimenting to connect the artificial material directly to
the nervous system. Thus people will be able to use and control the artificial limb
or appendage by their own nervous system. Animals are being used to help reach
this goal. Particularly monkeys are being used, which are closely related to
humans on the evolutionary tree. Not only external prosthetic but researches
are hoping to use artificial material and tools to increase or support
different parts of the brain.
In “Scientists Use Prosthetic
Device to Restore and Improve Impaired Decision-Making Ability in Animals”, the
details of future goals are explained. Brain injuries and diseases have affected
many people and families; however, researches think they can implant a prosthetic
in the brain to support the damaged area. Currently, the focus is on the
decision making part of the brain, which is found in the frontal lobe. In
monkey brains, they record the firing patterns of multiple neurons during a
decision making task. When this particular part of the brain is damaged, the
task cannot be performed properly. However, they play back the recorded neural
activity, and the function is restored or improved. Many are eager for these goals to be reached
in human beings. Not only the patients but the US Department of Defense eagerly
wait to present this technology to injured veterans.
Although the monkeys in this trial
are not getting the sole benefit from this experiment, they are increasing the
knowledge of so many researchers. However, “Prosthetic information flows back
and forth across species lines, and it wouldn't be surprising to see scientist
refining nerve integrated Prosthetic in injured animals.” (Anthes, 142)
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