This paper is a review of our results of the application of atomic force mi
croscopy (AFM) to the three-dimensional observation of living cells. First,
we showed AFM images of living cultured cells in fluid. Contact mode AFM o
f living cells provided precise information on the shape of cellular proces
ses (such as spike-like processes or lamellipodia) at the cellular margin.
The contour of cytoskeletal elements just beneath the cell membrane was als
o clearly observable on the upper surface of the cells. Secondly, we showed
the data on the discrepancy between the AFM images of living cells and fix
ed cells. These findings were useful for evaluating AFM images of living ce
lls. Finally, we described the time-lapse AFM of living cells. A fluid cham
ber system enabled us to obtain AFM images of living cells for over 1 h at
time intervals of 2-4 min. A series of these AFM images were useful for exa
mining the movements of cellular processes in relation to subcellular cytos
keletal elements. Time-lapse movies produced by sequential AFM images also
gave a realistic view of the cellular dynamics.