Cubic Surface Hydration May Regulate Space in Living Cells.
- As water approaches a lipid or poly-ionic surface, it forms transient linear elements of hydration in cubic conformations, as shown on the left. The linear elements are unstable and last only about a million millionth of a second, but as they leave, they withdraw energy from the surfaces and move them into lower-energy forms. Polypeptides and nucleic acids are moved into linear and coil forms. The linear elements last too short a time to be detected, but they occupy space and provide order in living cells. A detailed description of the process is presented in the article below and in "The Matrix of Life, Secomd Edition."