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. 2005 Aug 12;89(5):3410–3423. doi: 10.1529/biophysj.104.057679

FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 1

Schematic illustration of the MT phases observed. For <0.4% (wt/wt) 20 k PEO (corresponding to an osmotic pressure of 600 Pa), the MTs are undistorted and form a nematic. Above this concentration of 20 k PEO, the MTs buckle to a noncircular cross section and form bundles with rectangular symmetry. The MTs distort further as the osmotic pressure increases. At 5% 20 k PEO (25,000 Pa), approximately c*, the polymer overlap concentration, the PEO is forced inside the lumen of the MTs, and the MTs convert to undistorted MTs in hexagonal bundles. At 18% 20 k PEO (400,000 Pa), all the MTs are in the hexagonal bundle phase.