Eur. Phys. J. B 11, 187-192 (1999)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s100510050928

Nematic liquid crystals formed by living amoeboid cells ^*

Complex Fluids Group, BioPhysics Department, University of Ulm, 89069 Ulm, Germany

Corresponding author: ^a hans.gruler@physik.uni-ulm.de

Received: 7 September 1998
Revised: 4 March 1999
Published online: 15 September 1999

Abstract

Interacting cells have the ability to form liquid crystal phases: (i) A cluster of a polar nematic liquid crystal is formed by cells which emit molecules for attracting other cells and (ii) an apolar nematic liquid crystal is formed by elongated cells which have an anisotropic steric repulsion. The angle distribution function is predicted by using the characteristics of an automatic controller where the extracellular guiding field is approximated by two-dimensional mean-field. The nematic liquid crystal state is quite well described by the model.