title: Looking at cell mechanics with atomic force microscopy: experiment and theory.
abstract: This review reports on the use of the atomic force microscopy in the investigation of the mechanical properties of cells. It is shown that the technique is able to deliver information about the cell surface properties (e.g., topography), the Young modulus, the viscosity, and the cell the relaxation times. Another aspect that this short review points out is the utilization of the atomic force microscope to investigate basic questions related to materials physics, biology, and medicine. The review is written in a chronological way to offer an overview of phenomenological facts and quantitative results to the reader. The final section discusses in detail the advantages and disadvantages of the Hertz and JKR models. A new implementation of the JKR model derived by Dufresne is presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, University Center of Plasencia, University of Extremadura, Avda. Virgen del Puerto 2, 10600, Plasencia, Spain.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benitez
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Toca-Herrera
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002468:Cell Physiological Phenomena; D002477:Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods; D008954:Models, Biological; D011387:Prokaryotic Cells / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure
keywords: Hertz and JKR models; Young modulus; atomic force microscopy; cell mechanics; contact mechanics; relaxation time; viscoelasticity