The application of biofilm science to the study and control of chronic bacterial infections
J. Clin. Invest. William Costerton, et al. 112:1466 doi:10.1172/JCI20365 [Go to this article.]

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).