In vitro (Latin for (with)in glass) means within a test tube, or just outside a living organism (a cell). An example is In Vitro Fertilization. The opposite of in vitro is in vivo, within a cell. As many experiments that deal with molecular biology are conducted outside of cells, and the conditions do not necessarily represent the conditions inside the cell, results are often annotated with in vivo or in vitro.
... Investor confidence was strong at yearend 2001, in part because of the strong recovery in the trade balance. Highly unequal income distribution remains a pressing ...