in vivo

Definition

Testing or treatment happening inside living organisms, the 'let's try this on actual biology' phase after lab experiments. It's where theory meets messy reality.

Example Usage

In vivo trials on mice showed the drug reduced tumors by 60%, prompting researchers to start planning human studies.

Origin

Latin phrase meaning 'in the living,' used since the 19th century to distinguish organismal studies from lab work.

Fun Fact

What works in vivo in mice fails in humans about 90% of the time, making drug development an expensive game of trial and error.

Source: Clinical research and experimental medicine terminology

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