Search results
A helix (/ ˈ h iː l ɪ k s /; pl. helices) is a shape like the cylindrical part of a coil spring or machine screw. It is a type of smooth space curve with tangent lines at a constant angle to a fixed axis.
May 21, 2024 · A helix is a shape formed by a smooth curve. To visualize this shape, one can imagine a ribbon wound around a stick, or the spiral cord between a telephone handset and its base. A spiral staircase is another practical example.
6 days ago · A helix, sometimes also called a coil, is a curve for which the tangent makes a constant angle with a fixed line.
Mar 2, 2005 · Why are helices so common in biology? Physicists at Penn suggest that it is because they are the most efficient way to pack long molecules in a crowded cell. They modeled the problem with a flexible tube and hard spheres and found that helices minimize the space occupied.
Nov 12, 2022 · The helix and the helicoid. A helix is a curve in three dimensions – in other words, a space curve – the tangent to which makes a constant angle with a fixed line. ...more.
Feb 18, 2005 · Physicists at Penn explain why helices are common in biological molecules such as DNA. They show that helices minimize the energy and space occupied by long chains in a crowded cell environment.
Feb 17, 2005 · Helices are spiral shapes that pack long molecules tightly in crowded cells. The researchers show that helices are the most space-efficient and energy-minimizing conformations for flexible tubes in a mixture of hard spheres.
