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RESEARCH LITERACY LAB / RESEARCH FORMING
Cells in a dish are not a body
“In vitro” means studying cells outside a living body. It can suggest a mechanism without proving a whole-body effect.
THE QUESTION
Recognize what a cell experiment isolates and what it leaves out.
COMMON MISREAD
A change in cultured cells is sometimes described as a proven result in a person.
TAKE AWAY
A dish is a useful test environment, not a stand-in for a whole body.
INTERACTIVE PREVIEW / FULL LESSON FORMING
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FIELD CHECK / 01
A peptide changed cultured cells in a dish. What was directly observed?
FURTHER READING
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- DefinitionNCI definition of in vitro ↗