Schachtelhalm-structure of the octafibrils in collagen

X-ray diffraction patterns suggest that the microfibrils in the collagen of native rat tail tendon are eight-stranded ropes, quarter staggered and packed together in an orthorhombic lattice with paracrystalline (liquid-like) distortions between adjacent tropocollagen molecules. These so called octafibrils react under stress like synthetic elastomers with a 135 Å periodicity of hard segments.