in-vivo
UK[ɪn ˈviːvəʊ]US[ɪn ˈviːvoʊ]
adj
Taking place in a living organism.
adv
In a living organism.
Morpheme Breakdown
in
vivo
in
in
vivo
life
Etymology
The term 'in-vivo' is a direct borrowing from modern Latin, where it functions as a prepositional phrase. It is composed of the Latin preposition 'in', meaning "in" or "within", and the ablative singular form of the noun 'vivum', derived from 'vivus' meaning "living" or "alive". This construction literally translates to "in the living" or "within the living". The term entered scientific English in the early 20th century to describe biological experiments or processes conducted within the intact, living body of an organism, as opposed to those done in an artificial environment ('in-vitro'). It thus preserves the precise, literal meaning of its Latin components to denote a specific context of life science research.
Analysis
Structure: in (in) + vivo (life)
- 'in': A Latin preposition meaning "in, within".
- 'vivo': From the Latin verb 'vivere', meaning "to live".
Examples
The drug's efficacy was confirmed through in-vivo testing on laboratory mice.
This imaging technique allows scientists to observe cellular processes in-vivo.
The study compared the results of in-vitro and in-vivo experiments.