In vitro microscopes are one of the instruments of microscopy that make use of cutting edge technology in order to produce highly accurate images of specimens in real time.  This type of microscopy allows observers to view samples of living material such as cells, tissues and organs without the need to contaminate them with chemicals that might affect their structure.

In vitro microscopes are also excellent for use during in vitro manipulation, a technique that requires highly detailed, high-intensity and high-powered magnification in order to handle living matter, often in the cellular level.  In vitro microscopes provide the best magnification techniques necessary in order for in vitro manipulation to be performed successfully.

In vitro manipulation
When the term in vitro appears as a topic of most conversations, it is mostly as a means to conduct artificial fertilization both in humans and animals.  In vitro is a Latin term which means ‘within the glass’, referring to the technique wherein an experiment is conducted on a live organism within the confines of a controlled environment, usually a test tube or glass flask.  In vitro fertilization is just one of the examples of how this method is being performed.

Because of the promise of a more efficient means to control the results of in vitro experiments, many of the biological researches and studies being conducted related to cellular biology make use of in vitro manipulation.  Instead of performing the manipulation within the organism’s body (in this case, the term used is ‘in vivo’), certain processes are performed outside of the organism.

There are several uses for in vitro manipulation – fertilization to impregnate a female recipient is just one of them.  Ova from the female ovaries are removed manually.  Using high power microscopy (such as in vitro microscopes), the ova are manipulated in order to be deliberately fertilized by sperm.  This is performed within a liquid medium in order to protect and preserve the living material.  In vitro manipulation is performed using sanitized glass containers or plastic resins such as petri dishes.  Technicians can then select the best fertilized egg or zygote from the stock and use that to transfer to the female’s uterus.  This will establish a pregnancy if successful.

In vitro manipulation is also a very important technique to be used with embryonic stem cell research.  Most recently, a type of microscopy using polarized light technique was developed by the Marine Biological Laboratory, which aided greatly in the research.  The in vitro manipulation technique used here was mainly to handle cloned embryos from monkeys, the very first time a primate’s cells have been used.

In vitro manipulation is also a technique used for studying how certain plants react to common viruses and diseases.  This is usually performed for agriculturally-viable plants, rare or endangered plants or plants used for breeding.  Under controlled conditions, the way viruses influence the growth of plants and how the plants themselves survive.  Using the knowledge based on the observations obtained from this type of research, a good plan of therapy or an effective formulation of pesticide, for example, may be produced.

Advantages of in vitro manipulation
In vitro manipulation has provided a means with which to produce results that are often impossible to create in vivo.  It also allows research to be conducted for highly sensitive and fragile living matter such as cells and their components, tissues, organs, proteins and bio-molecules.  In vitro manipulation allows for the controlled handling and exploitation of these materials with minimal damage (if at all) to the most sensitive components.  Generally, since there are very few variables and reactions to deal with, in vitro manipulation is much easier and more effective to perform.

In vitro manipulation also allows for tissue and cell cultures to be used instead of the whole organism.  This helps reduce the cost of obtaining whole animals, for example, in order to perform tests.  It is also a much more humane way to manage experiments.

Although considered expensive in its early days, the science of in vitro manipulation has become a much more cost-effective means to control the production of plant or animal progeny and recreating biological processes.  In vitro manipulation is currently one of the most important and very productive methods of research.

Limitations of in vitro manipulation
Although highly touted for providing an alternative means for experimentation, in vitro manipulation is often limited by its very nature.  Test conditions are sometimes difficult to design and setup in order to replicate the actual conditions within the organism accurately.  The conditions in a living organism’s body are highly dynamic, capable of changing and adapting depending on the health of the organism or the environment it is exposed to.  This often leads to results that may not always correspond to the conditions that often occur within a living organism. Original article