In Vivo

In Vivo is a term used in biology and medicine to refer to experiments or measurements done in or on the living tissue of a whole, living organism as opposed to a partial or dead organism, or an in vitro ("within the glass", i.e., in a laboratory environment) controlled environment. The term is Latin for "within the living".

Overview

In vivo testing is often employed over in vitro because it is better suited for observing the overall effects of an experiment on a living subject. In drug discovery, for example, verification of efficacy in vivo is crucial, because in vitro assays can sometimes yield misleading results with drug candidate molecules that are irrelevant in vivo (i.e., in the body).

In Vivo vs In Vitro

While in vivo research is often necessary for understanding the holistic function of biological systems, it is also often more complex, time-consuming, and expensive than in vitro research. In vitro methods, on the other hand, are often used in the early stages of research to test many parameters before selecting the most promising ones for in vivo testing.

Applications

In vivo procedures are widely used in many areas of biomedical research, including genetics, physiology, and pharmacology. They are also critical in the development and testing of new drugs and therapies, where they are used to establish both the efficacy and safety of new treatments before they are approved for use in humans.

See Also

• In Vitro
• Ex Vivo
• Animal Testing
• Clinical Trial

References

In Vivo Resources
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