NEAR-DISSIPATIONLESS COHERENT EXCITATIONS IN BIOSYSTEMS

We consider the question of long-range propagation of informational si gnals in biosystems. This is done for the case of a modeled biosystem of the type considered by H. Frohlich and A. S. Davydov but under gene ral nonequilibrium thermodynamic conditions. For that purpose we resor t to the so-called informational statistical thermodynamics. It is sho wn that Frohlich's effect may follow in this system. It consists in th e emergence of a self-organized dissipative homogeneous and stationary structure (in Prigogine's sense), resembling a nonequilibrium Bose-Ei nstein condensation in the low-lying-in-frequency modes of polar vibra tions. It follows once a critical level of pumping of metabolic energy is achieved. Furthermore, it is shown that signals in this system pro pagate in the form of Davydov solitons, which are strongly thermally d amped in near equilibrium at physiological conditions. However, the si tuation drastically changes in nonequilibrium conditions, leading to F rohlich's condensation, when the lifetime of a Davydov-like soliton is enormously enhanced, allowing for very long range propagation of sign als. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.