Fig. 3.

Surface adhesion in climbing animals and cells. a Weaver ant (Oecophylla smaragdina) carrying more than 100 times its body weight upside-down on a smooth surface (photo: Thomas Endlein). b Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko) attached by a single toe to a tilted glass surface. Reproduced from [130] with permission from the Journal of Experimental Biology. c Lateral view of adhesive setae in a longhorn beetle (Clytus arietis) showing non-adhesive orientation of seta tips and anti-adhesive corrugations on the dorsal side. Reproduced from [131] with permission from the Journal of Experimental Biology. d Weaver ant adhesive pad in the retracted (top) and the extended position (bottom). Reproduced from [114]. e Adherent cell on a deformable substrate. Inward forces are transmitted via the cytoskeleton and the focal adhesions to the substrate. Adapted from [75]. f Rapid increase in adhesive contact area in stick insects (Carausius morosus) in response to a rapid displacement of the substrate. Adapted from [121]. g B16 melanoma cell (expressing fluorescent marker for focal adhesions) before and 5 minutes after displacement of cell body by a microneedle (direction shown by arrow), showing growth of peripheral focal contacts in the region opposite the cell body (enlarged in insets), stimulated by tension. Reproduced from [123] with permission from the Journal of Cell Science