ABSTRACT
This chapter describes how cell adhesion affects cultured cells with respect to their function and productivity. It makes the biological implications of cell adhesion better known to the community of biotechnologists with the expectation that more attention to this key aspect of cell life and function will result in better processes and expanded cell culture possibilities. The chapter examines the general and specific biological mechanism of cell adhesion, reviews the nature of cell culture substrata, then discusses the molecular and cellular implications of cell adhesion, and finally focuses on biotechnological applications. The fluid-mechanical aspects of cell injury are intricately related to the adhesion process. The chapter examines the current understanding of the fluid-mechanical mechanisms through which cells are damaged in microcarrier bioreactors. It discusses the importance of cell adhesion as it applies to the emerging field of tissue engineering, and illustrates an example of tissue engineering, the long-term cultivation of bone marrow cells.
