Tendril perversion

Tendril perversion is a geometric phenomenon sometimes observed in helical structures in which the direction of the helix transitions between left-handed and right-handed.

[1] [2] Such a reversal of chirality is commonly seen in helical plant tendrils and telephone handset cords.

[6][7] "Perversion" is a transition from one chirality to another and was known to James Clerk Maxwell, who attributed it to topologist J.

[9][10] A detailed study of a simple model of the physics of tendril perversion was made by McMillen and Goriely in the early 2000s.

[2] Liu et al. showed in 2014 that "the transition from a helical to a hemihelical shape, as well as the number of perversions, depends on the height to width ratio of the strip's cross-section.