Preface; Part I. Soft Tissue: 1. Signal transduction in vascular cells exposed to cyclic strain; 2. Effects of pressure overload on vascular smooth muscle cells; 3. Effect of increased flow on release of vasoactive substances from vascular endothelial cells; 4. Modulation of endothelium derived relaxing factor activity by flow; 5. Stretch, overload and gene expression in muscle; 6. Stretch sensitivity in stretch receptor muscles; 7. Mechanical interactions with plant cells - a selective overview; 8. Mechanical tensing of cells and chromosome arrangement; 9. Alterations in gene expression induced by low-frequency, low-intensity electromagnetic fields; Part II. Hard Tissue: 10. Cellular modelling of mechanical interactions with the skeleton; 11. Mechanical and hormonal influences in vivo cause regional differences in bone remodelling; 12. Mechanically sensitive cells in bone; 13. Mechanical stress and bone development; 14. Applications of homogenous, defined strains to cell cultures; 15. The role of prostaglandin in bone cells as mediators of mechanical strain; 16. Effects of mechanical stretch on actin polymerisation in fibroblasts of the periodontium; 17. Modulation of cartilage extracellular matrix turnover by pulsed electromagnetic fields; Index.