Haidar Siddiqui, Cubby Maquera 1/9/13 Period 2 Animal Organs in Humans: Unresolved There are many public health risks such as transplantation of organs and tissue of animals to humans. The human immune system would reject another animal's organ. Even among humans, the people have to have the same blood type and preferably be related (have very close genetic information). Other risks such as animal germs transferring to humans can cause major problems. Part of why adding animal organs to humans has grown debatably in recent times is because people think they have nothing to lose when they are in pain and in the risk of death. People would do anything now days to see another day in this world, so even if it means getting animal organs into their body, they’re all in for it. Surgeons also are a long way of finding off before figuring out how to use them successfully. Immunologic effects could occur if animal’s organs are transplanted into humans. Antigens on the surfaces of cells in animal organs are drastically different from human antigens which will lead to organ necrosis. Certain diseases can cross the species barrier and infect the patient if the animal organ is not appropriately chosen. Physiological differences between humans and the animal species means that the animal organ may not be designed to perform the same function that it does in humans or it performs the function to a different extent. A big reason why animal organ transplantation to humans isn’t popular is because of certain patients may not wishing to have animal organ transplants for religious, animal rights or other psychological concerns. Part of the reason why in Mary Shelley’s time that the animal transplantation to humans wasn’t popular was because of the religious beliefs. It was something new and unheard of at the time and people weren’t really opposed at the time to do something major like transplanting organs. Now more and more people are committing to this surgery because the availably of animal organs are more common such as sheep, pigs, and dogs. Also, the cost isn’t too pricey for the procedure and that Animal transplantation is more justifiable than human organ trade.