Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) provides a range of strategies for investigating living cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix, other cells or biomaterials in their native environment. This review surveys the results obtained from major studies using AFM for mechanical force evaluation in the cell, morphological visualization of the cell and studies of the cell's response to chemical or mechanical stress. Recently, the use of AFM has been broadened to obtain experimental information about cell adhesion molecules. Quantitative measurements of binding forces between adhesion proteins and their ligands in the cell or on a surface are presented. These analyses provide data on individual molecules and their resulting collective behaviour at the cell level. They significantly contribute to the characterisation of cellular adhesion with physical principles relating to biochemistry.