Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

International Journal of Quantum Chemistry

The role of quantum theory in biology

Robert Rosén

Published Jun 18, 2009• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The computation of the properties of biological molecules has long been the most visible part of “quantum biology”. However, there is good reason to believe that these data cannot, by themselves, allow us to understand the deep properties of biological organization. It is pointed out that the quantum theory itself allows many modes of analysis which are distinct from those employed in quantum chemistry, and that these other modes are in fact implicated in basic biological interactions. Thus there is nothing “un-physical” about them, even though they differ from those conventionally employed in quantum-theoretical approaches to biology.

DOI
10.1002/qua.560080727

Related papers

Quantum Biology: Does quantum physics hold the key to revolutionizing medicine?

Bey Hing Goh, Eng Siang Tong, Priyia Pusparajah

Quantum biology is the study of quantum effects on biochemical mechanisms and biological function. Quantum physics describes the behaviour of the nanoscale particles that make up all matter including living organisms, but it was generally believed that the ‘warm, wet and noisy environment’ in living organisms would result in decoherence making it impossible for meaningful quantum effects to occur. However, there is now a substantial body of work supporting that nature has actually adapted in such a way as to exploit quantum properties to enhance cellular functioning and is believed to have role in a diverse range of key processes in living organisms ranging from maintaining the stability of DNA to neuron function to conscious cognition; from light harvesting in photosynthesis to avian magnetic field based navigation. This review aims to summarize the various mechanisms and functions in living organisms believed to utilize quantum mechanics to purposefully and effectively enhance their performance, and to explore the potential this could hold in diagnosing and treating various medical conditions.

Progress in Drug Discovery & Biomedical Science•Nov 10, 2020•18 citations

Quantum Entanglement: Biological Implications

Jincheng Zhang

This paper investigates the potential biological significance of quantum entanglement, a phenomenon predicted by quantum mechanics where two or more particles become linked in such a way that they share the same fate, no matter how far apart they are. Traditionally, biological processes have been explained through classical physics. However, recent research suggests that quantum phenomena, including entanglement, might play a role in various biological systems. This work explores the core claim that entanglement may be crucial for information transfer, energy transmission, or the regulation of biological processes within living organisms. We examine potential mechanisms by which entanglement could arise and persist within biological environments, focusing on the interactions between biological molecules. The research challenges conventional biological explanations and proposes a framework for investigating the potential impact of quantum mechanics on life itself. The fundamental question addressed is whether entanglement is a fundamental component of biological function, rather than an anomaly.

•Aug 31, 2026•0 citations

From quantum chemistry to quantum biology: a path toward consciousness

Jack A. Tuszyński

This paper presents a historical overview of quantum physics methodology's development and application to various science fields beyond physics, especially biology and consciousness. Following a successful interpretation of several early 20t⁢h century experiments, quantum physics gradually provided a conceptual framework for molecular bonds via quantum chemistry. In recent years individual biological phenomena such as photosynthesis and bird navigation have been experimentally and theoretically analyzed using quantum methods, building conceptual foundations for quantum physics' entry into biology. Quantum concepts have also been recently employed to explain physiology's allometric scaling laws by introducing quantum metabolism theory. In the second part of this work, we discuss how quantum physics may also be pivotal to our understanding of consciousness, which has been touted by some researchers as the last frontier of modern science. Others believe that consciousness does not belong within the realm of science at all. Several hypotheses, especially the Orch OR theory, have been suggested over the past two decades to introduce a scientific basis to consciousness theory. We discuss the merits and potential extensions of these approaches.

Journal of Integrative Neuroscience•Dec 30, 2020•36 citations

Quantum biology: introduction

Graham R. Fleming, Gregory D. Scholes

Introduction Key features of quantum mechanics are the uncertainty principle, wave–particle duality, quantization of energies and the modification of classical probability laws. Biology is concerned with how natural systems function – from understanding how genetically coded information is replicated, to attaining a mechanistic model for complex multistep reactions. Recently researchers have been asking whether quantum mechanics, normally the domain of physics, is also needed to understand some biological processes. This field includes fascinating developments in theory and experiment, as well as multidisciplinary discussion, and the state-of-the-art is documented in this book. Erwin Schrödinger, in his famous book What is Life ? (Schrödinger, 1944), noted that quantum mechanics accounts for the stability of living things and their cellular processes because of our understanding, via quantum mechanics, of the stability and structure of molecules. The fact that quantum effects create, sometimes large, energy gaps between different states of a chemical system is also important. Such energy gaps, between electronic energy levels, enable living organisms to capture and store the energy carried from the sun by photons, and to visualize the world around them via optically induced chemical reactions. Davydov's view in Biology and Quantum Mechanics (Davydov, 1982) was that quantum mechanics is most relevant for isolated systems in pure states and therefore is of little importance for biological systems that are in statistical states at thermal equilibrium.

Cambridge University Press eBooks•Aug 6, 2014•7 citations

Quantum Biology: Harnessing Entanglement for Biological Information Processing

Jincheng Zhang

This research investigates the potential role of quantum entanglement in biological information processing. We explore the feasibility of simulating quantum effects within biological molecules and examining the influence of entanglement on fundamental processes such as DNA sequence recognition and protein folding. The core claim centers on demonstrating how entanglement could provide a mechanism for enhanced computational capabilities within biological systems. This work contributes to the emerging field of quantum biology by proposing a novel framework for understanding biological phenomena through the lens of quantum mechanics, specifically focusing on the emergent properties of entanglement. The theoretical analysis presented here lays the groundwork for future experimental investigations and offers a new perspective on the complexities of life.

•Aug 28, 2026•0 citations

Quantum Effects in Biology

Quantum mechanics provides the most accurate microscopic description of the world around us, yet the interface between quantum mechanics and biology is only now being explored. This book uses a combination of experiment and theory to examine areas of biology believed to be strongly influenced by manifestly quantum phenomena. Covering subjects ranging from coherent energy transfer in photosynthetic light harvesting to spin coherence in the avian compass and the problem of molecular recognition in olfaction, the book is ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in physics, biology and chemistry seeking to understand the applications of quantum mechanics to biology.

Cambridge University Press eBooks•Aug 5, 2014•237 citations
The computation of the properties of biological molecules has long been the most visible part of “quantum biology”. However, there is good reason to believe that these data cannot, by themselves, allow us to understand the deep properties of biological organization. It is pointed out that the quantum theory itself allows many modes of analysis which are distinct from those employed in quantum chemistry, and that these other modes are in fact implicated in basic biological interactions. Thus there is nothing “un-physical” about them, even though they differ from those conventionally employed in quantum-theoretical approaches to biology.
Quantum biology is the study of quantum effects on biochemical mechanisms and biological function. Quantum physics describes the behaviour of the nanoscale particles that make up all matter including living organisms, but it was generally believed that the ‘warm, wet and noisy environment’ in living organisms would result in decoherence making it impossible for meaningful quantum effects to occur. However, there is now a substantial body of work supporting that nature has actually adapted in such a way as to exploit quantum properties to enhance cellular functioning and is believed to have role in a diverse range of key processes in living organisms ranging from maintaining the stability of DNA to neuron function to conscious cognition; from light harvesting in photosynthesis to avian magnetic field based navigation. This review aims to summarize the various mechanisms and functions in living organisms believed to utilize quantum mechanics to purposefully and effectively enhance their performance, and to explore the potential this could hold in diagnosing and treating various medical conditions.
This paper investigates the potential biological significance of quantum entanglement, a phenomenon predicted by quantum mechanics where two or more particles become linked in such a way that they share the same fate, no matter how far apart they are. Traditionally, biological processes have been explained through classical physics. However, recent research suggests that quantum phenomena, including entanglement, might play a role in various biological systems. This work explores the core claim that entanglement may be crucial for information transfer, energy transmission, or the regulation of biological processes within living organisms. We examine potential mechanisms by which entanglement could arise and persist within biological environments, focusing on the interactions between biological molecules. The research challenges conventional biological explanations and proposes a framework for investigating the potential impact of quantum mechanics on life itself. The fundamental question addressed is whether entanglement is a fundamental component of biological function, rather than an anomaly.
This paper presents a historical overview of quantum physics methodology's development and application to various science fields beyond physics, especially biology and consciousness. Following a successful interpretation of several early 20t⁢h century experiments, quantum physics gradually provided a conceptual framework for molecular bonds via quantum chemistry. In recent years individual biological phenomena such as photosynthesis and bird navigation have been experimentally and theoretically analyzed using quantum methods, building conceptual foundations for quantum physics' entry into biology. Quantum concepts have also been recently employed to explain physiology's allometric scaling laws by introducing quantum metabolism theory. In the second part of this work, we discuss how quantum physics may also be pivotal to our understanding of consciousness, which has been touted by some researchers as the last frontier of modern science. Others believe that consciousness does not belong within the realm of science at all. Several hypotheses, especially the Orch OR theory, have been suggested over the past two decades to introduce a scientific basis to consciousness theory. We discuss the merits and potential extensions of these approaches.
Introduction Key features of quantum mechanics are the uncertainty principle, wave–particle duality, quantization of energies and the modification of classical probability laws. Biology is concerned with how natural systems function – from understanding how genetically coded information is replicated, to attaining a mechanistic model for complex multistep reactions. Recently researchers have been asking whether quantum mechanics, normally the domain of physics, is also needed to understand some biological processes. This field includes fascinating developments in theory and experiment, as well as multidisciplinary discussion, and the state-of-the-art is documented in this book. Erwin Schrödinger, in his famous book What is Life ? (Schrödinger, 1944), noted that quantum mechanics accounts for the stability of living things and their cellular processes because of our understanding, via quantum mechanics, of the stability and structure of molecules. The fact that quantum effects create, sometimes large, energy gaps between different states of a chemical system is also important. Such energy gaps, between electronic energy levels, enable living organisms to capture and store the energy carried from the sun by photons, and to visualize the world around them via optically induced chemical reactions. Davydov's view in Biology and Quantum Mechanics (Davydov, 1982) was that quantum mechanics is most relevant for isolated systems in pure states and therefore is of little importance for biological systems that are in statistical states at thermal equilibrium.
This research investigates the potential role of quantum entanglement in biological information processing. We explore the feasibility of simulating quantum effects within biological molecules and examining the influence of entanglement on fundamental processes such as DNA sequence recognition and protein folding. The core claim centers on demonstrating how entanglement could provide a mechanism for enhanced computational capabilities within biological systems. This work contributes to the emerging field of quantum biology by proposing a novel framework for understanding biological phenomena through the lens of quantum mechanics, specifically focusing on the emergent properties of entanglement. The theoretical analysis presented here lays the groundwork for future experimental investigations and offers a new perspective on the complexities of life.
Quantum mechanics provides the most accurate microscopic description of the world around us, yet the interface between quantum mechanics and biology is only now being explored. This book uses a combination of experiment and theory to examine areas of biology believed to be strongly influenced by manifestly quantum phenomena. Covering subjects ranging from coherent energy transfer in photosynthetic light harvesting to spin coherence in the avian compass and the problem of molecular recognition in olfaction, the book is ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in physics, biology and chemistry seeking to understand the applications of quantum mechanics to biology.