Mechanical interactions between cells and their environment play an important role in many biological processes. These interactions are often anisotropic in nature, but most mathematical models in... Show moreMechanical interactions between cells and their environment play an important role in many biological processes. These interactions are often anisotropic in nature, but most mathematical models in the field of cell mechanics describe cells as isotropic entities. In this thesis we theoretically study the role of anisotropic forces in cell mechanics, and compare our predictions to experimental data. Show less