Beyond the dichotomy in vivo - in vitro: in silico

Garcia, Pio (2006) Beyond the dichotomy in vivo - in vitro: in silico. In [2006] Models and Simulations (Paris, 2006).

Abstract

From the beginnings of the biochemistry as discipline, the dichotomy between in vivo- in vitro conditions has been in the center of their methodological discussions. With the growing influence of computer simulations - sometimes called "in silico" conditions-, a new methodological problem is added to biochemistry. However, "simulation" could be seen as a core concept that is in fact used in the in vivo - in vitro dichotomy. In this sense, in silico dimension could be considered as a natural extension of the classical dichotomy. From the way in which simulation is used on in vivo-in vitro dichotomy, we also suggest that the general idea of simulation proposed by Hartmann have to be redefined. The intuitive idea of simulation resting on “imitation” relationship, as a “process that imitates another process” (Hartmann 1996), has to be complemented by others methodological concepts like “isolation” or “disruption”.