Fig. 933.01

Fig. 933.01: These helical columns of tetrahedra, which we call the tetrahelix, explain the structuring of DNA models of the control of the fundamental patterning of nature's biological structuring as contained within the virus nucleus. It takes just 10 triple-bonded tetrahedra to make a helix cycle, which is a molecular compounding characteristic also of the Watson-Crick model of the DNA. When we address two or more positive (or two or more negative) tetrahelixes together, they nestle their angling forms into one another. When so nestled the tetrahedra are grouped in local clusters of five tetrahedra around a transverse axis in the tetrahelix nestling columns. Because the dihedral angles of five tetrahedra are 7° 20' short of 360°, this 7° 20' is sprung-closed by the helix structure's spring contraction. This backed-up spring tries constantly to unzip one nestling tetrahedron from the other, or others, of which it is a true replica. These are direct (theoretical) explanations of otherwise as yet unexplained behavior of the DNA.

Copyright © 1997 Estate of R. Buckminster Fuller