Long-range coherence in biological systems

The great success of molecular biology arises from tile discovery of the detailed structure of biomoleeules such ~s DNA ~md enzymes. :No systematic spaeial order was found, and it wa, s concluded tha t these molecules do not possess a physical order. Physical order, however, does not express itself in special order only. Thus superfluid helium, or the electrons in ~ superconductor exhibit an order tha t might be termed . This type of order is connected with the existence of macroscopic w~ve functions, which implies the existence of cert~fin quantum phase correlations over macroscopic distances or the existence of coherent states. Other correlations connected with the phase of oscillating systems rather than with those of m~eroscopic w:~ve functions ~re ~lso well known when those systems are lifted from their thermal equilibrium. A well-known example are laser systems which need not exhibit :~ spa~ebfl order as, e.g., in the c~se of gas lasers. Many other types of physical order m'~y be imposed on certain systems