Final answer:
Microbial cells adhere to surfaces within biofilms to trap nutrients, gain protection, and resist antibiotics, thanks to substances like polysaccharides and glycoproteins that facilitate this process.
Step-by-step explanation:
Microbial cells adhere to surfaces and trap nutrients for various purposes. These actions are critical for the development and maintenance of biofilms, which are complex communities of microorganisms that can be found on various surfaces in both natural environments and the human body. Microbes within biofilms produce substances like polysaccharides, glycoproteins, and glycolipids, forming an extracellular matrix that aids adhesion to surfaces and cohesion among the cells themselves. This adhesion provides several advantages to the cells, like aiding in nutrient acquisition, protecting against desiccation, and enhancing resistance to predation, antibiotics, and disinfectants.
Through mechanisms such as the production of adhesins found on the surface of pathogenic microbes, and the formation of glycocalyces, bacteria can strongly attach to host cells, which is critical during infection. The cohesive and adhesive forces responsible for biofilm formation also allow bacteria to survive in various natural settings, including those with extreme pH levels or under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Eventually, these biofilms can lead to increased resistance to antibiotics and the ability to evade the immune responses of the host, making them challenging in clinical settings.