In vitro is used to describe work that's performed outside of a living organism. This can include studying cells in culture or methods of testing the antibiotic sensitivity of bacteria.

Why Is in vitro studies important?

In vitro studies are important in that they allow more rapid development of new treatments—many drugs can be studied at one time (and they can be studied in a large number of samples of cells) and only those that appear to be efficacious go on to human studies.

What is tested in in vitro studies?

In vitro testing occurs in a laboratory and usually involves studying microorganisms or human or animal cells in culture. This methodology allows scientists to evaluate various biological phenomena in specific cells without the distractions and potential confounding variables present in whole organisms.