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Biology vocabulary · Experiments and Research Methods

In vivo

Meaning in biology, with examples

/ɪn ˈviːvoʊ/adjectiveCommon term

In biology, in vivo means: Done or happening inside a living organism, such as a mouse, a plant or a human. The Latin phrase means 'in the living'.

In Turkish: in vivo, canlıda, canlı organizmada

How it is used

Used like in vitro, as an adjective (in vivo experiments) or adverb (tested in vivo), and often in italics. Researchers usually confirm in vitro findings in vivo before clinical trials. A related term, ex vivo, describes tissue taken from an organism and studied outside it.

Example sentences

  1. The drug worked well in cell culture but showed no effect in vivo.

  2. In vivo imaging allowed us to follow the tumor in the same mouse for weeks.

Common collocations

  • in vivo study
  • in vivo experiment
  • tested in vivo
  • in vivo imaging
  • in vitroDone outside a living organism, for example in a test tube, a petri dish or a cell culture. The Latin phrase literally means 'in glass'.
  • 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.
  • replicateOne of several repeats of the same measurement or experiment, done to check that the results are reliable. As a verb, it means to repeat an experiment or, for DNA and viruses, to copy itself.

More terms: Experiments and Research Methods

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