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Biology vocabulary · Experiments and Research Methods

In vitro

Meaning in biology, with examples

/ɪn ˈviːtroʊ/adjectiveCommon term

In biology, in vitro means: Done outside a living organism, for example in a test tube, a petri dish or a cell culture. The Latin phrase literally means 'in glass'.

In Turkish: in vitro, laboratuvar ortamında, canlı dışında

How it is used

Used as an adjective (in vitro studies, an in vitro assay) and as an adverb (the cells were tested in vitro), often in italics. Results in vitro do not always predict what happens in vivo. In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a well-known example.

Example sentences

  1. The compound killed cancer cells in vitro, but it has not yet been tested in animals.

  2. We used an in vitro assay to measure enzyme activity.

Common collocations

  • in vitro study
  • in vitro assay
  • tested in vitro
  • in vitro fertilization
  • in vivoDone or happening inside a living organism, such as a mouse, a plant or a human. The Latin phrase means 'in the living'.
  • cultureA population of microorganisms or cells grown in the lab in a nutrient medium under controlled conditions. As a verb, it means to grow them in this way.
  • model organismA species that is studied in great detail because it is easy to keep and breed in the lab, so that findings can help explain biology in other organisms.
  • control groupThe group in an experiment that does not receive the treatment being tested, so that its results can be compared with those of the treated group.

More terms: Experiments and Research Methods

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