ABSTRACT
This chapter examines an indication of the relevance of cell adhesion to laboratory and to “real-world” situations. It outlines the principles of cell adhesion. The chapter discusses techniques for the evaluation of the forces between the cells and the substrata. The implications of microbial film growth on surface structures have been considered in some detail by B. Atkinson and H. W. Fowler. Studies of laboratory or industrial situations involving microbial film commonly do not report the film thickness, although this can be a matter of great importance. The practical effect of wall growth in laboratory chemostat systems, therefore, is that a population will remain, even when the dilution rate exceeds the specific growth rate. Microorganisms attached to surfaces in an aquatic environment commonly have the advantage of enhanced nutrient supplies from materials adsorbed to the substratum, but they enjoy the tranquility of laminar flow or the stationary sublayers rather than the turbulence of the mainstream.
