The growth of anchorage-dependent animal cells was significantly affected by the adhesiveness on carrier materials. The relationship between the cell division rate and adhesiveness was quantitatively studied by use of ceramic carriers whose chemical compositions were regulated stepwise. An apparatus using a spinner flask was designed to estimate numerically the adhesive strength of cells to ceramic carriers. Using this apparatus, the adhesive strength of cells to ceramic sinters made by mixtures of synthesized hydroxyapatite (HAP) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP), a polystyrene dish (LUX), a glass dish, and a ZrO 2 ceramic plate were measured. The adhesiveness was comparably analyzed by trypsination method. Both measurements showed that the adhesiveness of L929 cells to calcium-phosphate sinters was considerably weaker than to LUX. Kinetic analyses of cell division and the adhesiveness to various carriers showed that a certain degree of weak adhesiveness was apparently advantageous for accelerating cell division. Another noteworthy and compatible correlation was obtained by the numerical analysis of growth phase dependent changes of these physiological parameters. The relationship between the cell division rate and adhesiveness based on the quantitative analysis was applicable for all the ceramic carriers used in this study. Measurement of the contact angle of the ceramic carrier with water suggested that the hydrophobicity of the carrier material was the dominant factor in determining the adhesiveness at the cell-carrier interface. The calcium-phosphate ceramic sinters had contact angle values from 42° to 56°. On the other hand, LUX, glass and ZrO 2 carriers had more hydrophobic surfaces as the values were around 65°. The most favored carrier for cell division had weak hydrophobicity with an angle of 51°.