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In silico is an expression used to mean "performed on computer
Computer

A computer is a machine that manipulates Data according to a list of Code .The first devices that resemble modern computers date to the mid-20th century , although the computer concept and various machines similar to computers existed earlier....
 or via computer simulation
Computer simulation

A computer simulation, a computer model or a computational model is a computer program, or network of computers, that attempts to simulation an abstract model of a particular system....
." The phrase is coined in analogy to the Latin phrases in vivo
In vivo

In vivo means that which takes place inside an organism. In science, in vivo refers to experimentation done in or on the living tissue of a whole, living organism as opposed to a partial or dead one or a in vitro....
 and in vitro
In vitro

In vitro refers to the technique of performing a given procedure in a controlled environment outside of a living organism. Some may argue that in vitro refers to a process that is created in a "test tube"; however, Robert Kail and John Cavanaugh on page 58 in the 4th edition of Human Development: A Life-Span View cite that in fact th...
 which are commonly used in biology
Biology

Biology is a branch of the natural sciences concerned with the study of living organisms and their interaction with each other and their environment ....
 (see also systems biology
Systems biology

Systems biology is a biology-based inter-disciplinary study field that focuses on the systematic study of complex interactions in biological systems, thus using a new perspective to study them....
) and refer to experiments done in living organisms and outside of living organisms, respectively. Contrary to widespread belief, in silico does not mean anything in Latin. The proper Latin phrase would likely be in simulacra
In simulacra

In simulacra is a Latin language phrase meaning "within likenesses." The phrase is used similarly to in vivo or ex vivo to denote the context of an experiment....
 to describe experiments done on the likeness (simulacrum
Simulacrum

Simulacrum , from the Latin simulacrum which means "likeness, similarity", is first recorded in the English language in the late 16th century, used to describe a representation of another thing, such as a statue or a painting, especially of a god; by the late 19th century, it had gathered a secondary association of inferiority: an image...
) or model of a phenomenon.

expression in silico was first used in public in 1989 in the workshop "Cellular Automata: Theory and Applications" in Los Alamos, New Mexico.






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In silico is an expression used to mean "performed on computer
Computer

A computer is a machine that manipulates Data according to a list of Code .The first devices that resemble modern computers date to the mid-20th century , although the computer concept and various machines similar to computers existed earlier....
 or via computer simulation
Computer simulation

A computer simulation, a computer model or a computational model is a computer program, or network of computers, that attempts to simulation an abstract model of a particular system....
." The phrase is coined in analogy to the Latin phrases in vivo
In vivo

In vivo means that which takes place inside an organism. In science, in vivo refers to experimentation done in or on the living tissue of a whole, living organism as opposed to a partial or dead one or a in vitro....
 and in vitro
In vitro

In vitro refers to the technique of performing a given procedure in a controlled environment outside of a living organism. Some may argue that in vitro refers to a process that is created in a "test tube"; however, Robert Kail and John Cavanaugh on page 58 in the 4th edition of Human Development: A Life-Span View cite that in fact th...
 which are commonly used in biology
Biology

Biology is a branch of the natural sciences concerned with the study of living organisms and their interaction with each other and their environment ....
 (see also systems biology
Systems biology

Systems biology is a biology-based inter-disciplinary study field that focuses on the systematic study of complex interactions in biological systems, thus using a new perspective to study them....
) and refer to experiments done in living organisms and outside of living organisms, respectively. Contrary to widespread belief, in silico does not mean anything in Latin. The proper Latin phrase would likely be in simulacra
In simulacra

In simulacra is a Latin language phrase meaning "within likenesses." The phrase is used similarly to in vivo or ex vivo to denote the context of an experiment....
 to describe experiments done on the likeness (simulacrum
Simulacrum

Simulacrum , from the Latin simulacrum which means "likeness, similarity", is first recorded in the English language in the late 16th century, used to describe a representation of another thing, such as a statue or a painting, especially of a god; by the late 19th century, it had gathered a secondary association of inferiority: an image...
) or model of a phenomenon.

History

The expression in silico was first used in public in 1989 in the workshop "Cellular Automata: Theory and Applications" in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Pedro Miramontes, a mathematician from National Autonomous University of Mexico
National Autonomous University of Mexico

The National Autonomous University of Mexico is a public university based primarily in Mexico City and generally considered to be the largest university in Latin America in terms of student population....
 (UNAM) presented the report "DNA
DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetics instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and some viruses....
 and RNA
RNA

Ribonucleic acid is a type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nucleobase, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate....
 Physicochemical Constraints, Cellular Automata and Molecular Evolution". In his talk, Miramontes used the term "in silico" to characterize biological experiments carried out entirely in a computer. The work was later presented by Miramontes as his PhD
Doctor of Philosophy

Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated Ph.D. or PhD for the Latin , meaning "teacher of philosophy", is an postgraduate academic degree awarded by University....
 dissertation.

In silico has been used in white paper
White paper

A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that often addresses problems and how to solve them. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions....
s written to support the creation of bacterial genome programs by the Commission of the European Community. The first referenced paper where "in silico" appears was written by a French
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
 team in 1991. The first referenced book chapter where "in silico" appears was written by Hans B. Sieburg in 1990 and presented during a Summer School on Complex Systems at the Santa Fe Institute.

In silico versus in silicio

"In silico" was briefly challenged by "in silicio," which is correct Latin for "in silicon" (the Latin term for silicon, silicium, was created at the beginning of the 19th century by Berzelius
Jöns Jakob Berzelius

Friherre J?ns Jacob Berzelius was a Sweden chemist. He worked out the modern technique of chemical formula, and is together with John Dalton, Antoine Lavoisier, and Robert Boyle considered a father of modern chemistry....
. Silex
Silex

Silex, in modern usage, refers to a finely ground, nearly pure form of silica or silicate.The first known use occurs circa 1590 as a post-medieval/Early Modern Era term in Latin for powdered or ground up "Flints" in alchemy, and was later used famously when describing experiments in a published paper by Antoine Lavoisier where such earth...
 is also a correct latin word). But the phrase "in silice" means "in flint" in Latin. "In silico" was perceived as catchier, possibly through similarity to the words "vivo" and "vitro" "In silico" is now almost universal; it even occurs in a journal title (In Silico Biology: http://www.bioinfo.de/isb/).

"In silico" is reasonable from the viewpoint of (ancient) Greek case endings; the "-on" ending for certain elements is from Greek. In Greek, "silicon" would take the form "silico" in such a phrase. Latin typically uses the correct Greek forms for Greek words when they are used in Latin.

The phrase "in silico" originally applied only to computer simulations that modeled natural or laboratory processes (in all the natural sciences), and did not refer to calculations done by computer generically.

See also

  • List of Latin phrases
    List of Latin phrases

    This page lists direct English language translations of common Latin phrases, such as veni, vidi, vici and et cetera. Some of the phrases are themselves translations of List of Greek phrases, as Greek language rhetoric and literature were highly regarded in ancient Rome when Latin rhetoric and literature were still maturing....
  • ex vivo
    Ex vivo

    Ex vivo means that which takes place outside an organism. In science, ex vivo refers to experimentation or measurements done in or on living tissue in an artificial environment outside the organism with the minimum alteration of the natural conditions....
  • in situ
    In situ

    In situ is a Latin phrase meaning in the place. It is used in many different contexts....
  • in utero
    In Utero

    In Utero is the third and final studio album by the American Grunge music band Nirvana , released on September 13, 1993 by DGC Records. Nirvana intended the record to be significantly divergent from the polished production of its previous album Nevermind ....
  • in vitro
    In vitro

    In vitro refers to the technique of performing a given procedure in a controlled environment outside of a living organism. Some may argue that in vitro refers to a process that is created in a "test tube"; however, Robert Kail and John Cavanaugh on page 58 in the 4th edition of Human Development: A Life-Span View cite that in fact th...
  • in vivo
    In vivo

    In vivo means that which takes place inside an organism. In science, in vivo refers to experimentation done in or on the living tissue of a whole, living organism as opposed to a partial or dead one or a in vitro....
  • in papyro
    In papyro

    in papyro: referring to experiments or studies carried out only on paper. For example, the term may be applied to epidemiological studies that do not involve clinical subjects, such as meta-analysis....
  • In silico molecular design programs
    Software for molecular mechanics modeling

    This is a list of of computer programs that are predominantly used for molecular mechanics calculations.Min - Optimization,MD - Molecular Dynamics,...


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