First posting

So this is my first blog on here.  I've been out of the blogging sphere for quite some time..  but here goes nothing!

Today on a well known social networking site I came across a picture of two orang-utans, presumably mother and infant.  The infant was kissing the mother who appeared to be smiling.  It struck a chord.
I have recently been reading lots of literature after studying a module on mammalogy (which was hard work!).  The more I read and learn the more I find myself questioning the use of primates in animal testing.  I understand the need for animal testing to a degree, and understand that primates naturally are closer in their genetic makeup to us than say a rabbit.  But, I wonder, how much do these primates such as chimpanzees, orang-utans etc suffer for the greater good of us Homo sapiens.
Why is it okay to test on innocent primates?  Why is the choice not offered to those that are serving life sentences?  There isn't an easy answer.
People may even question that why should any animal be tested; what makes a primate worse to test on than the humble rat?
I myself as a training scientist have collected and killed various insects so that I may study them and their distribution better.  Some might argue that this is no better than testing on animals.  However, for me a short death by an invertebrate that doesn't have a brain and the complexity of a mammal or bird and is available in their millions is somewhat different to inflicting sometimes deliberate suffering on a mammal.  As a scientist it is one of the features of science I find a bitter pill to swallow.  It is one that I hope one day we can move on from, and employ better methods of testing the suitability of medicines and cosmetics.