Universal kinetics of the onset of cell spreading on substrates of different stiffness

When plated onto substrates, cell morphology and even stem cell differentiation are influenced by the stiffness of their environment. Stiffer substrates give strongly spread (eventually polarized) cells with strong focal adhesions, and stress fibers; very soft substrates give a less developed cytoskeleton, and much lower cell spreading. The kinetics of this process of cell spreading is studied extensively, and important universal relationships are established on how the cell area grows with time.

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