POSITIVE-FEEDBACK-ENHANCED FROHLICHS BOSE-EINSTEIN-LIKE CONDENSATION IN BIOSYSTEMS

We present a mechanostatistical study of the so-called Frohlich effect , namely nonthermal amplification of polar vibrations leading to compl ex behavior in biosystems, like biopolymers and large aggregates of ma cromolecules. Frohlich condensation is considered to be of relevance f or a certain class of biological processes, in particular in connectio n with the problem of long-range propagation of signals at physiologic al temperature. Resorting to a thermomechanical theory appropriate to deal with irreversible processes in systems far from equilibrium, earl ier results are extended. We perform an analysis of the case when prod uction of a double excitation of polar vibrations, generated by the ac tion of an external pumping source of metabolic energy, is possible. I t is shown that, when this is the case, the process involves a positiv e feedback mechanism that greatly facilitates and enhances the phenome non of Frohlich's condensation, and consequently the possible accompan ying biological processes. The results are discussed and eventual conn ection with experimental observations pointed out. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.