Definition
adjective, adverb
(Of a biological process) made to occur in or on a biological tissue but in an artificial environment, outside the organism, with the minimum alteration of natural conditions
Supplement
The term ex vivo is associated with various biological processes that are made to occur in or on a biological tissue outside the organism. Etymologically, ex vivo is Latin for from life. It is used in contrast to the terms in vitro and in vivo. The term ex vivo is different from in vivo and in vitro according to the location where a biological process is made to occur. in vivo is a term referring to a biological process that is made to occur within a living organism. in vitro is a term for one that is made to occur in an artificial environment such as in a test tube or a petri dish. ex vivo is the term used to describe a biological process that is carried out within or on a biological tissue in an artificial environment but with the minimum alteration of natural conditions. Thus, when a study, for instance, is described as ex vivo it means that the study is based on an experimentation or methodology done outside the living organism and extracted from a biological tissue, not from a repository. If from a repository, it would properly be called in vitro.
Word origin: Latin ex- (out of, from) + vivo (life)
Variant(s):
- ex-vivo
Compare:
