Biological Liquid Crystals

An important role is played by the liquid crystals in biology. The combination of order and mobility is the essential characteristic of liquid crystals and this is also the basic requirement of self-organization and formation of structure in living systems. The liquid crystals of biomacromolecules are known as biological liquid crystals (BLCs). In recent decades, the study of BLCs has emerged as one of the fastest growing areas with large numbers of emergent problems. It combines soft condensed matter physics, biophysics and molecular biology.  The BLCs have been explored for various applications, including display and sensing technologies. The present chapter 9 is devoted to the discussion of rheology, dynamics, biological morphogenesis, properties, influence of applied fields on the structure and properties and fundamental and advanced aspects of BLCs.