Provence Place Mats by Mediterranean Interiors

A biofilm is a syntrophic community of microorganisms in which cells stick to each other and often also to a surface. These adherent cells become embedded within a slimy extracellular matrix that is composed of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs). The cells within the biofilm produce the EPS components, which are typically a polymeric combination of extracellular polysaccharides, proteins, lipids and DNA. Because they have a three-dimensional structure and represent a community lifestyle for microorganisms, they have been metaphorically described as "cities for microbes". Biofilms may form on living (biotic) or non-living (abiotic) surfaces and can be common in natural, industrial, and hospital settings. They may constitute a microbiome or be a portion of it. The microbial cells growing in a biofilm are physiologically distinct from planktonic cells of the same organism, which, by contrast, are single cells that may float or swim in a liquid medium. Biofilms can form on the teeth of most animals as dental plaque, where they may cause tooth decay and gum disease. Microbes form a biofilm in response to a number of different factors, which may include cellular recognition of specific or non-specific attachment sites on a surface, nutritional cues, or in some cases, by exposure of planktonic cells to sub-inhibitory concentrations of antibiotics. A cell that switches to the biofilm mode of growth undergoes a phenotypic shift in behavior in which large suites of genes are differentially regulated. A biofilm may also be considered a hydrogel, which is a complex polymer that contains many times its dry weight in water. Biofilms are not just bacterial slime layers but biological systems; the bacteria organize themselves into a coordinated functional community. Biofilms can attach to a surface such as a tooth or rock, and may include a single species or a diverse group of microorganisms. Subpopulations of cells within the biofilm differentiate to perform various activities for motility, matrix production, and sporulation, supporting the overall success of the biofilm. The biofilm bacteria can share nutrients and are sheltered from harmful factors in the environment, such as desiccation, antibiotics, and a host body's immune system. A biofilm usually begins to form when a free-swimming, planktonic bacterium attaches to a surface.

Article title : Biofilm
"in or exposed to an aqueous solution, although they can form as floating mats on liquid surfaces and also on the surface of leaves, particularly in high..."
Article title : Death of Kendrick Johnson
"vertical rolled-up wrestling mat. The body was discovered by fellow students who had climbed up to the top of a cluster of mats, which stood nearly 6 feet..."
Article title : Access mat
"mat, pipeline mats, may be considered construction mats, though they often begin as a different type of access mat. Pipeline mats are typically mats at..."
Article title : Chrysosplenium alternifolium
"known as the alternate-leaved golden-saxifrage. It is a mat-forming perennial of wet places that grows between 5 and 15 cm (2 and 6 in) tall. It blooms..."
Article title : The Gold (TV series)
"Lowden and Tom Cullen and is a dramatisation of events around the Brink's-Mat robbery in 1983. It is directed by Aneil Karia and Lawrence Gough. The first..."
Article title : List of The Wheel of Time characters
""Shadow's Waiting". He appears to Rand al'Thor, Mat Cauthon, Perrin Aybara and Egwene al'Vere in their dreams, proving that despite being imprisoned he is able..."
Article title : The Wheel of Time (TV series)
"Cauthon, Mat's mother Christopher Sciueref as Abell Cauthon, Mat's father Petr Simcák as Tom Thane Litiana Biutanaseva as Bode Cauthon, Mat's sister Lilibet..."
Article title : The Dragon Reborn
"battle Darkhounds and discover that the Forsaken Sammael rules in Illian. Mat Cauthon is taken to Tar Valon by Verin Mathwin, Nynaeve al'Meara, Egwene..."
Article title : A.J. Ferrari
"Cal State Bakersfield, where he was a Pac-12 champion and All-American, placing third at the NCAA Division I championships. Born and raised in Texas, Ferrari..."
Article title : Mat Rempit
"A Mat Rempit is a Malaysian term for an individual (usually a youngster) who participates in hooliganism and illegal activities such as street racing..."