Contractils: Quantum Mechanical Fibrils

When an erythrocyte rouleau is pulled apart by micromanipulation the cells remain attached to each other by long fibrils which may reach lengths of over 100 μm. The tension and length of the fibrils are drastically reduced when the cellular membrane potential is abolished or when the cells are depleted of ATP. It is inferred that the fibrils consist of macromolecules and that the tension is largely derived from a quantum mechanical long-range interaction which accords with the theory of Frohlich.