Biophysical Aspects of Coherence and Biological Order

Download or read book Biophysical Aspects of Coherence and Biological Order written by Jiri Pokorny and published by Springer. This book was released on 1998-08-17 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book explains self-assembly and order on the basis of a biophysical mechanism using energy. Biological molecules and structures have extraordinary polar and polarization properties. Even the thermal vibrations are accompanied by polarization waves generating oscillating electric fields capable of mediation of long range interactions. In particular, the cytoskeleton is an important structure of cellular organization. On account of non-linear properties energy supplied from metabolic sources (e.g. from GTP to the microtubules and from ATP to the actin filaments) can shift the vibrations in biological systems far from thermodynamic equilibrium and excite coherent states. The generated coherent electric field can be essential for creation and maintenance of order. The book presents the hypothesis that protein phosphorylation can control the coherent vibrations whose disturbances may be connected with certain properties of malignant cells. The text of the book is accessible to biophysicists, biologists, biochemists, and to other scientists working in the interdisciplinary area between biology, chemistry, and physics.