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Quantum Biology
 Are biologic systems quantum mechanical?
The Question
 Are we classical or quantum mechanical?
 Classical; matter/one state/ certainty/space and time
bound
 QM; wave/probability/
superposition of states/
uncertainty/
time and space are blurred
Classical/Quantum mechanical
Cutoff
 Do large objects belong to classical physics?
 Does QM just govern small objects?
 What is small?
 Planck D. 1.6 * 10-35 m
Is there a cut-off?
 In 2003, double slit experiments were done with
the following molecule; fluorinated
fullerenes C60F48
Is there a cut-off?
Where is the cut-off?
 Are we quantum mechanical as well?
Problems with Quantum Biology
 QM is observed under very cool temperature and in isolated
conditions.
 One other property of QM is coherence
 Coherence is the correlation between physical quantities of
a single wave, or between several waves.
 Quantum coherence is incredibly fleeting, measured in
nano or micro seconds. It normally’ breaks down very
rapidly
 At higher temperatures quantum coherence can’t be
created at all
Biologic systems
 Biologic systems function in high temperature and
made by many molecule structures.
 The biology we know is water dependant and
functions very much in a connected environment.
 We are made of many atomic ingredients with
strong coordination.
Life Forms and QM
 How can fragile quantum mechanical phenomena
manage to survive in wet and warm biological
systems?
 Nature seems to do it – continually.
 Recent studies have suggested nature’s use of quantum
physics in photosynthesis, the sense of smell, and many
other biological functions.
 How can it be?
Quantum Field Theory (QFT)
 To explain quantum mechanical effects in biologic
systems we have to use QFT.
 QFT is the newest version of QM
 It simply describes the many particle systems in
quantum terms.
Self-Propagating waves
Not every wave is quantum mechanical
Water waves are thermalized
A soliton is a self-reinforcing solitary wave that
maintains its shape while
it travels at constant
speed
Micro-anatomy of Life Forms
 The cytoplasm is made of dense protein filaments
surrounded by water molecules
 In 1979 Davydov found a solitary
wave propagation along the chain
of protein filaments. The wave is called
Davydov soliton and it’s energy is kept free from
thermalization.
Davidov Soliton
 Davydov soliton is an excitation
propagating along the protein αhelix
 The origin of wave propagation is
the collective mode of many bipolar
oscillations of non-localized
electrons trapped in a protein chain.
 Its frequency is about 1012 /sec
Water Molecule
 The composition of a water molecule is two hydrogen atoms and
one oxygen atom (spatial geometry shown in image below).
 The water molecule shows a non-vanishing electric dipole
moment, moving and rotating freely.
 Water is abundant in the body. So it can deliver quantum effect
all over the body of living things.
So living matter is made of dipolar
soliton waves embedded in protein
chain and water dipole moment
Therefore, life forms in micro-scale can
act quantum mechanically
Mutual Correlation in Life Forms
 Non-living matter can contain ingredient dipole moments
as well. However each one is irrespective of neighboring
ones; so they cancel each other out
 Living matter has a collective mode; the totality of their
atomic ingredients have strong mutual correlation.
 Non-living matter goes towards thermal equilibration with
maximum entropy
 Under the supply of energy, living matter decreases entropy
and increases order (negantropy)
Quantum Field Theory (QFT)
 IN QFT, the energy stored in a soliton is kept free from
thermalization and stored in a highly ordered fashion
 There is a strong mutual correlation between
fundamental elements of living matter, which also
requires to be studied within QFT domain
Quantum Tunneling
When a particle does not have
enough energy to pass a barrier,
but passes through it anyway,
it is called Quantum Tunneling.
Synapses
 Dendrites and axons of different neurons are not
actually attached to each other. In higher
magnification, there is a gap between the dendrites of
different neurons that is about two hundred angstrom
(2*10-8 m) wide. These gaps are termed the synaptic
cleft.
Quantum Tunnelling
 Electrons are thought to transfer the signal throughout
the cleft and to the next neuron. However the released
electron does not have enough kinetic energy to pass
the gap. It’s energy is enough for only about seven
angstroms’ trip.
 The electron must perform quantum tunneling to
reach the next neuron.
Cell Membrane
 The cell membrane is made up of lipids and protein
molecules.
 It is a double layered two dimensional membrane of
lipid molecules packed by protein filaments
 Protein molecules act as active gates for ionic exchange
across the membrane .
Classic Cell Membrane Theory
 Exchange of ions such as a sodium ion across an ionic
channel is vital to cell survival
 However, a very intense electric field (107V.m-1) prevents
ion exchange.
 In addition, ions on one side of the membrane are
bound to proteins and trapped there
 The barrier is completely impenetrable in “classical”
terms .
Quantum Mechanical Membrane
The Uncertainty Principle
E.t≥h
where  E represents a quantum fluctuation of energy
occurring in the time interval  t
 Transfer of quantum object across the barrier takes
about 5. 10-14 s
 The energy variation surpasses the electric field energy
Quantum Brain Dynamics
 The action potential thesis with its ionic transfer fails
in several respects...
 Brain functions are highly
ordered and systematized.
 For example, memory is stored
in non-localized region of the brain, is stronglycorrelated and homogenous with long term stability.
Quantum Brain Dynamics Theory
 Brain is also made up of protein chains and water molecules
 The electric dipole field spans the spatial volume of the brain.
 The data field has a macroscopic order with long term stability
and non-local presence
 In QFT, when all the electric dipole moments are aligned in the
same direction up to the quantum fluctuation, this is called
collective mode
 QBD answers the question of unity , memory storage and …..
Future Section
 Quantum mechanics can explain many unexplained
functions in biologic systems. Some of them like
photosynthesis can even be observed in macro-scales.
 In our Sept gathering Victor will take it from here to
the more familiar functions of life forms in
macroscopic scales.
The End
Part One