in-vitro
UK[ɪn ˈviːtrəʊ]US[ɪn ˈviːtroʊ]
adj
(of a biological process) taking place in a test tube, culture dish, or elsewhere outside a living organism
adv
in an artificial environment outside the living organism
Morpheme Breakdown
in
vitro
in
in, within, inside
vitro
glass
Etymology
The term 'invitro' is a modern Latin phrase adopted directly into scientific English. It is composed of the Latin preposition 'in', meaning "in", and the ablative singular form of 'vitrum', meaning "of glass". Literally, it translates to "in glass", referring to experiments conducted within the controlled environment of a laboratory glassware such as a test tube or petri dish. This contrasts with 'invivo' ("in the living"), highlighting the fundamental methodological distinction in biological research. The term elegantly encapsulates the shift from observing processes within a complex organism to isolating and studying them in a transparent, artificial medium.
Analysis
Structure: in + vitro
- in: Latin preposition meaning "in, within, inside". In this compound, it functions as a locative prefix.
- vitro: From Latin vitrum, meaning "glass". In this compound, it functions as the object of the preposition, referring to a glass vessel.
Examples
The success of invitro fertilization has helped many couples conceive.
Scientists grew the tissue invitro to study its development without external variables.
These invitro findings need to be validated by invivo experiments.