ABSTRACT
The cell adhesion models that have been published in the literature can roughly be divided into two classes, which, by analogy with microbial growth models, may be termed segregated and nonsegregated models. This chapter illustrates the events that can take place during specific cell adhesion. Single-cell adhesion models can easily be applied to populations of cells with a distribution of receptor numbers. Results of such model calculations have been presented by A. Saterbak and others, who base their calculations on the single-cell model proposed by Cozens-Roberts and others. While the continuum model predicted the existence of a critical tension value below which the membrane would spread and above which it would peel away, the discrete model predicted two critical tension values. The chapter presents a series of plots of the distribution of adhesion states and the fraction of adhered cells following the onset of fluid drag.
