Viability

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Viability means in general "capacity for survival" and is more specifically used to mean a capacity for living, developing, or germinating under favorable conditions. The word is specially used in the following contexts:

• viability in pregnancy refers to either:
  • an early stage pregnancy that has a chance of reaching full-term and a live birth (as opposed to, for example, an ectopic pregnancy); or
  • the shortest length of pregnancy after which a child born prematurely has any chance of survival. Generally, this is from 22 weeks; or
  • Limit of viability which is the point at which 50% of delivered babies would survive, which is currently at 24 weeks.
• viability in environmental conservation indicates the ability of a conservation target to persist for many generations or over long time periods.
• viability of cells and tissues in experimental biology refers to the extent to which those cells and tissues are living. Various testing methods can be used to determine cellular viability, including the MTT assay, CASY cell counting technology, and using a Coulter counter.
• viability in natural selection denotes the fraction of individuals that survive to a given age.
• viability in economic development indicates the ability of benefits to cover costs in development projects.

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