Van der Waals forces between cylinders. II. Retarded interaction between thin isotropic rods

Discussion on the state of water in the myofilament lattice and other biological systems, based on the fact that the usual concepts of colloid stability can not explain the stability of the myofilament lattice

Application of the usual concepts of colloid stability shows that the in vivo spacings between the myofilaments, making up the contractile part of the muscle myofibrils, correspond to energies of 10(-4) to 10(-1) kT. Refinements in the calculations of the electrostatic and Van der Waals-London energies do not significantly modify these values. Therefore, theory does not predict the observed stability of the myofilament lattice. It is shown that the interfilament water very likely plays an active role in the myofilament lattice. More generally, the structure of water in living cells is probably different from that of bulk water.

Van der Waals forces in biological systems

The theory of van der Waals forces has now developed to a stage where it constitutes a powerful tool in theoretical investigations of many biological systems. In this review we shall consider both the theoretical and conceptual aspects of these forces with the emphasis on the way they may be involved in various biological processes.