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The application of biofilm science to the study and control of chronic bacterial infections
William Costerton, Richard Veeh, Mark Shirtliff, Mark Pasmore, Christopher Post, Garth Ehrlich
Published in Volume 112, Issue 10
J Clin Invest. 2003; 112(10):1466–1477 doi:10.1172/JCI20365
This article Copyright © 2003, The American Society for Clinical Investigation
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Figure 2

Diagrammatic representation of the tower- and mushroom-like micro-colonies that constitute the structural elements of biofilms. Sessile cells constitute only approximately 15% of the volume of their matrix-enclosed communities, so the micro-colonies are viscoelastic and deformable in high shear. Well-developed water channels conduct water in convective flow and deliver nutrients to most parts of the community. Figure is reproduced with permission from the American Society for Microbiology (60).

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