Biomedical research is the broad area of science that involves the investigation of the biological process and the causes of disease through careful experimentation, observation, laboratory work, analysis, and testing. Scientists expand this knowledge base to discover ways to prevent ill-health, and to develop beneficial products, medications, and procedures to treat and cure diseases and conditions that cause illness and death in us, our families and friends, our pets, farm animals and wildlife. Biomedical research requires the input and participation of many individuals from both the life and physical sciences, with many different backgrounds and skills.
Such a research team might include medical doctors, veterinarians, computer scientists, engineers, technicians, researchers and a variety of scientists from the different fields of the life sciences. It deals with beliefs or theories which can be proven or disproven through observations and experimentation. Before humans can be asked to participate in testing, researchers must first use animals whose living systems best represent that of humans. Almost every major medical advance in this century has been dependent on animal research.
