Intravital Microscopy for THz-Bio Analysis

Abstract

Intravital microscopy is a high-resolution imaging technique to observe biological phenomena in living organisms. It often also stated as in vivo microscopy. Literal meaning of in vivo is “within the living” and there is another term, ex vivo of which literal meaning is “out of the living”. Both terms are commonly used to describe the status of sample at the moment of biological manipulations or investigations are done. In vivo study is a form of research using whole living organism in experiment to investigate a certain biological phenomenon in its natural environment, whereas ex vivo study uses non-living subjects such as tissues or organs dissected from dead animal. In addition, in vitro of which literal meaning is “within the glass” is another commonly used term. In vitro study is a form of research using small living subject such as cell in a controlled environment such as petri dish or test tube. Cell culture, the process of growing cells in a petri dish, is the most common form of in vitro study. Figure 1 summarizes the status of samples for biological study categorized by in vivo, in vitro and ex vivo.