Question

Much of the early work in biochemistry was done in vitro (in glass), and the biochemical reactions were carried out in dilute, aqueous, buffered solutions. In light of what is known about the inside of a cell, were such “test-tube” reactions reflective of what the cellular conditions are actually like?

Yes or no?

Answer 1

Many in vitro assays are approximate reconstitutions of biological processes by mixing the necessary components and reagents under controlled conditions. Examples of biological processes that can be reconstituted in vitro are enzymatic reactions, folding and refolding of proteins and DNA, and the replication of DNA in the PCR reaction.

The primary disadvantage of in vitro experimental studies is that it can sometimes be very challenging to extrapolate from the results of in vitro work back to the biology of the intact organism. During such processes however there could be chances that the researcher can over interpret his result.

Thus we can say that in vitro experiments do help one understand the reactions happening within the cells though one should validate the results thus obtained by doing further in vivo experiments.