In vitro (Latin for within the glass) refers to the technique of performing a given procedure in a controlled environment outside of a living organism. Many experiments in cellular biology are conducted outside of organisms or cells. One of the abiding weaknesses of in vitro experiments is that they fail to replicate the precise cellular conditions of an organism, particularly a microbe. To cite one example among many, the lysates or extracts from culture-grown spirochetes do not reflect antigens expressed in the mammalian