Substrate effects of surface morphology and chemical structure for cell cultures prepared by molecular terminal immobilization method were studied. When we focused attention on a phenyl group as a functional moiety, the cell growth on the surface prepared by the immobilization method showed a better proliferation rate than that of a substrate prepared by the casting method. Further, from the results of mouse fibroblast L929 cell (L-cell) growth on poly(amino acid)-immobilized surfaces in Dulbecco's minimal essential medium containing 10% FBS, it was indicated that the amino group was more effective than the phenyl group, and that a slight difference of chemical structure had a substantial influence on cell growth. In addition, mouse bone marrow-derived Sp2/0-Ag14 cell (Sp2/0 cell) culture in ASF-104 serum-free medium, poly(amino acid)-immobilized substrates showed an almost equal proliferation rate to that in a serum-containing medium. These results showed that effective cell growth can occur on immobilized surfaces, and that detection of a weak interaction depends on the functional groups. (C) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.