[Study of animal cell adhesion to glass by means of the frustrated total internal reflection method]

The method for studying the adhesion of mammalian cells to glass in vivo is presented. It is based on the effect of frustrated total reflection. It permits one to measure the index of refraction of hydroplasma situated near the site of cell-glass contact, to evaluate the distance between glass surface and cell surface membrane and to study the kinetics of flattening of the cell surface facing the glass.