Generation of the Biological Research
in vivo
"In vivo (Latin: (with) in the living) means that which takes place inside an organism. In science, in vivo refers to experimentation done in or on the living tissue of a whole, living organism as opposed to a partial or dead one."
Animal testing and clinical trials are forms of in vivo research.
in vitro
"In vitro (Latin: (with)in the glass) refers to the technique of performing a given experiment in a test tube, or, generally, in a controlled environment outside a living organism."
In vitro fertilization is a well-known example of this. Many experiments in cellular biology are conducted outside organisms or cells; thus, the conditions and, therefore, results may not correspond to those inside.
Consequently, experimental results are often annotated with in vitro or its opposite in vivo as it applies.
In silico
"In silico is an expression used to mean "performed on computer or via computer simulation."
The phrase is coined from the Latin phrases in vivo and in vitro that are commonly used in biology (see also systems biology) and refer to experiments done in living organisms and outside of living organisms, respectively.
Contrary to widespread belief, in silico does not mean anything in Latin.
