Cell attachment ($X{\cup }_{\varphi }{D}^q$)

Attaching a $q$-cell along $\varphi :S^{q-1}\to X$ forms the quotient of $X\bigsqcup D^q$ identifying each boundary point with its image under $\varphi$. A constant attaching map gives $X\vee S^q$. An attaching map can affect the cohomology ring even when it does not change the additive cohomology groups.