tangles

Tangles are knots or loops within a polymer chain, such as DNA or long molecules, where different parts of the same chain intertwine. They occur naturally due to movement and interactions, affecting the molecule's behavior and processes like replication or folding. Imagine a long piece of string that sometimes overlaps and crosses over itself—these overlaps are tangles. They can influence how the molecule functions and often require specialized enzymes or mechanisms to resolve, ensuring proper biological activity or material properties.