Figure 3.

Schematic depicting the effects of (A) hydrophilic and (B) hydrophobic surfaces on protein adsorption and conformation. (A) Hydrophilic surfaces in contact with blood and biological fluids promote protein adsorption in a conformation that exposes adhesion motifs and enhances cell adhesion. (B) Hydrophobic surfaces can partially denature proteins, disturbing their tertiary structure and causing cell-binding sites to be less accessible, which results in diminished cell adhesion.