Positive-feedback-enhanced Fr�hlich's Bose-Einstein-like condensation in biosystems

Abstract

We present a mechanostatistical study of the so-called Fröhlich effect, namely nonthermal amplification of polar vibrations leading to complex behavior in biosystems, like biopolymers and large aggregates of macromolecules. Fröhlich condensation is considered to be of relevance for a certain class of biological processes, in particular in connection with the problem of long-range propagation of signals at physiological temperature. Resorting to a thermomechanical theory appropriate to deal with irreversible processes in systems far from equilibrium, earlier results are extended. We perform an analysis of the case when production of a double excitation of polar vibrations, generated by the action of an external pumping source of metabolic energy, is possible. It is shown that, when this is the case, the process involves a positive feedback mechanism that greatly facilitates and enhances the phenomenon of Fröhlich's condensation, and consequently the possible accompanying biological processes. The results are discussed and eventual connection with experimental observations pointed out. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 66: 177–187, 1998