In this thesis, we present the numerical model of confluent cell monolayers that we developed in order to study the interplay between cell biophysical properties and tissue mechanics and morphology. Our cell based model combines both cell physics and biology; it includes the representation of cell mechanics, the application of external constraints, as well as the simulation of cell proliferation and signalling. This model was inspired from the vertex model of Farhadifar et al. 2007, which we adapted and progressively extended within our EpiCells framework. Our model allowed us to investigate (i) how cell mechanical properties affect the response of tissues to stretching and how cells may adapt to the resulting strain, (ii) the development of the spine follicles covering the lower back of Acomys Dimidiatus, and (iii) tissue buckling. Finally, we extended our 2D model to the 3D space and presented its application for further studies of tissue folding.