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IMPERIAL COLLEGE PRESS eBooks

Quantum Aspects of Life

Derek Abbott, P. C. W. Davies, Arun Kumar Pati, Sir Roger Penrose

Published Sep 1, 2008• 92 citations
Publisher

Abstract

This book presents the hotly debated question of whether quantum mechanics plays a non-trivial role in biology. In a timely way, it sets out a distinct quantum biology agenda. The burgeoning fields of nanotechnology, biotechnology, quantum technology, and quantum information processing are now strongly converging. The acronym BINS, for Bio-Info-Nano-Systems, has been coined to describe the synergetic interface of these several disciplines. The living cell is an information replicating and processing system that is replete with naturally-evolved nanomachines, which at some level require a quantum mechanical description. As quantum engineering and nanotechnology meet, increasing use will be made of biological structures, or hybrids of biological and fabricated systems, for producing novel devices for information storage and processing and other tasks. An understanding of these systems at a quantum mechanical level will be indispensable

DOI
10.1142/p581

Related papers

Quantum aspects of life

This book presents the hotly debated question of whether quantum mechanics plays a non-trivial role in biology. In a timely way, it sets out a distinct quantum biology agenda. The burgeoning fields of nanotechnology, biotechnology, quantum technology, and quantum information processing are now strongly converging. The acronym BINS, for Bio-Info-Nano-Systems, has been coined to describe the synergetic interface of these several disciplines. The living cell is an information replicating and processing system that is replete with naturally-evolved nanomachines, which at some level require a quantum mechanical description. As quantum engineering and nanotechnology meet, increasing use will be made of biological structures, or hybrids of biological and fabricated systems, for producing novel devices for information storage and processing and other tasks. An understanding of these systems at a quantum mechanical level will be indispensable.

•Jan 1, 2008•108 citations

Quantum aspects of life

Jim Al-Khalili

This book presents the hotly debated question of whether quantum mechanics plays a non-trivial role in biology. In a timely way, it sets out a distinct ...

Open Research (University of Surrey)•Jun 15, 2008•0 citations

P i T P Lectures on Quantum Phenomena

K. Birgitta Whaley

The discovery of quantum mechanics immediately transformed both physics and chemistry, and questions were soon asked about its implications for bio- logy. The first era of quantum biology focused on the structure and stability of biological entities like molecules. A second era began in the 1960s, with lasers allowing experiments on the very short time scales relevant to atomic and mo- lecular motions. Today, we have novel nanoprobes of real living cells, and evi- dence for biological phenomena that may involve highly non-trivial quantum effects such as long-range coherence and entanglement.

•Jan 1, 2013•0 citations

The Rise of Quantum Biology: Exploring Life at the Smallest Scales

Enebechi, Regina Ijeamasi, Amobi, Uchenna Vivian

Abstract The lines separating Biology and Physics have started to blur in recent decades, leading to the emergence of the interdisciplinary field known as quantum Biology. This field looks into the possibility that basic quantum mechanical phenomena such as coherence, entanglement, tunneling, and superposition play crucial roles in biological processes that are beyond the scope of classical Physics. Biology has traditionally worked within the parameters of classical mechanics, presuming that delicate quantum effects cannot endure in the warm, humid, and cacophonous environments of living systems. But new findings in fields like photosynthesis, olfaction, avian magnetoreception, and enzyme catalysis indicate otherwise, suggesting that living things intentionally and possibly advantageously use quantum principles. From the earliest speculative theories to the most recent experimental confirmations, this book chapter methodically examines the evolution of quantum Biology. We investigate how the exceptionally high energy transfer efficiency in photosynthetic complexes particularly in the light-harvesting proteins of green sulfur bacteria and plants is supported by quantum coherence. The remarkable speed of proton transfers and enzymatic reactions during DNA replication is also investigated in relation to quantum tunneling. The chapter explores magnetoreception in migratory birds and suggests models in which sensitivity to Earth's geomagnetic field is made possible by radical pair mechanisms influenced by quantum entanglement. We also discuss the intriguing but controversial idea that quantum vibrations improve the human olfactory system's capacity for discrimination. In addition to examining particular occurrences, this research challenges more general theoretical models that seek to balance quantum mechanics with the decoherence commonly observed in biological settings. Recent developments in quantum information theory, biomimetic quantum technologies, and ultrafast spectroscopy are highlighted as essential instruments advancing empirical research. We also critically evaluate the field's methodological difficulties, the skepticism of overly optimistic interpretations, and the significant philosophical ramifications of acknowledging life as a quantum phenomenon. In conclusion, quantum Biology suggests that quantum effects are not uncommon aberrations but rather are an essential part of life, offering not only a fresh perspective for reinterpreting well-known biological processes but also the potential for a fundamental paradigm shift. Quantum biology has the potential to completely transform biotechnology, medicine, and our comprehension of consciousness and the origin of life as experimental methods advance. This chapter highlights the significance of interdisciplinary cooperation in order to completely comprehend the latest discoveries and possible future paths of quantum Biology, highlighting its revolutionary influence on our comprehension of life at the most basic levels. Key words: Quantum Biology, tunneling, avian magnetoreception, enzyme catalysis

•Nov 2, 2025•0 citations

Exploring Quantum Mechanics

Victor M. Galitski, Boris Mikhailovich Karnakov, Vladimir I Kogan

Abstract A series of seminal technological revolutions has led to a new generation of electronic devices miniaturized to such tiny scales that the strange laws of quantum physics come into play. There is no doubt that, unlike scientists and engineers of the past, technology leaders of the future will have to rely on quantum mechanics in their everyday work. This makes teaching and learning the subject of paramount importance for further progress. Mastering quantum physics is a very non-trivial task and its deep understanding can only be achieved through working out real-life problems and examples. It is notoriously difficult to come up with new quantum-mechanical problems that would be solvable with a pencil and paper, and within a finite amount of time. This book presents some 700+ original problems in quantum mechanics together with detailed solutions, covering nearly 1,000 pages on all aspects of quantum science.

•Feb 28, 2013•60 citations

Decoding the Building Blocks of Life from the Perspective of Quantum Information

O Esquivel Rodolfo, Moyocoyani Molina‐Espíritu, Frank José Salas-Sánchez +4 more

Physical theories often start out as theories which only embrace essential features of the macroscopic world, where their predictions depend on certain parameters that have to be either assumed or taken from experiments; as a result these parameters cannot be predicted by such theories. To understand why the parameters have the values they do, we have to go one level deeper—typically to smaller scales where the easiest processes to study are the ones at the lowest level. When the deeper level reduces the number of unknown parameters, we consider the theory to be complete and satisfactory. The level below conventional molecular biology is spanned by atomic and molecular structure and by quantum dynamics. However, it is also true that at the lowest level it becomes very difficult to grasp all the features of the molecular processes that occur in living systems such that the complexity of the numerous parameters that are involved make the endeavour a very intricate one. Information theory provides a powerful framework for extracting essential features of complicated processes of life, and then analyzing them in a systematic manner. In connection to the latter, quantum information biology is a new field of scientific inquiry in which information-theoretical tools and concepts are permitting to get insight into some of the most basic and yet unsolved questions of molecular biology.

InTech eBooks•Apr 3, 2013•6 citations
This book presents the hotly debated question of whether quantum mechanics plays a non-trivial role in biology. In a timely way, it sets out a distinct quantum biology agenda. The burgeoning fields of nanotechnology, biotechnology, quantum technology, and quantum information processing are now strongly converging. The acronym BINS, for Bio-Info-Nano-Systems, has been coined to describe the synergetic interface of these several disciplines. The living cell is an information replicating and processing system that is replete with naturally-evolved nanomachines, which at some level require a quantum mechanical description. As quantum engineering and nanotechnology meet, increasing use will be made of biological structures, or hybrids of biological and fabricated systems, for producing novel devices for information storage and processing and other tasks. An understanding of these systems at a quantum mechanical level will be indispensable
This book presents the hotly debated question of whether quantum mechanics plays a non-trivial role in biology. In a timely way, it sets out a distinct quantum biology agenda. The burgeoning fields of nanotechnology, biotechnology, quantum technology, and quantum information processing are now strongly converging. The acronym BINS, for Bio-Info-Nano-Systems, has been coined to describe the synergetic interface of these several disciplines. The living cell is an information replicating and processing system that is replete with naturally-evolved nanomachines, which at some level require a quantum mechanical description. As quantum engineering and nanotechnology meet, increasing use will be made of biological structures, or hybrids of biological and fabricated systems, for producing novel devices for information storage and processing and other tasks. An understanding of these systems at a quantum mechanical level will be indispensable.
The discovery of quantum mechanics immediately transformed both physics and chemistry, and questions were soon asked about its implications for bio- logy. The first era of quantum biology focused on the structure and stability of biological entities like molecules. A second era began in the 1960s, with lasers allowing experiments on the very short time scales relevant to atomic and mo- lecular motions. Today, we have novel nanoprobes of real living cells, and evi- dence for biological phenomena that may involve highly non-trivial quantum effects such as long-range coherence and entanglement.
Abstract The lines separating Biology and Physics have started to blur in recent decades, leading to the emergence of the interdisciplinary field known as quantum Biology. This field looks into the possibility that basic quantum mechanical phenomena such as coherence, entanglement, tunneling, and superposition play crucial roles in biological processes that are beyond the scope of classical Physics. Biology has traditionally worked within the parameters of classical mechanics, presuming that delicate quantum effects cannot endure in the warm, humid, and cacophonous environments of living systems. But new findings in fields like photosynthesis, olfaction, avian magnetoreception, and enzyme catalysis indicate otherwise, suggesting that living things intentionally and possibly advantageously use quantum principles. From the earliest speculative theories to the most recent experimental confirmations, this book chapter methodically examines the evolution of quantum Biology. We investigate how the exceptionally high energy transfer efficiency in photosynthetic complexes particularly in the light-harvesting proteins of green sulfur bacteria and plants is supported by quantum coherence. The remarkable speed of proton transfers and enzymatic reactions during DNA replication is also investigated in relation to quantum tunneling. The chapter explores magnetoreception in migratory birds and suggests models in which sensitivity to Earth's geomagnetic field is made possible by radical pair mechanisms influenced by quantum entanglement. We also discuss the intriguing but controversial idea that quantum vibrations improve the human olfactory system's capacity for discrimination. In addition to examining particular occurrences, this research challenges more general theoretical models that seek to balance quantum mechanics with the decoherence commonly observed in biological settings. Recent developments in quantum information theory, biomimetic quantum technologies, and ultrafast spectroscopy are highlighted as essential instruments advancing empirical research. We also critically evaluate the field's methodological difficulties, the skepticism of overly optimistic interpretations, and the significant philosophical ramifications of acknowledging life as a quantum phenomenon. In conclusion, quantum Biology suggests that quantum effects are not uncommon aberrations but rather are an essential part of life, offering not only a fresh perspective for reinterpreting well-known biological processes but also the potential for a fundamental paradigm shift. Quantum biology has the potential to completely transform biotechnology, medicine, and our comprehension of consciousness and the origin of life as experimental methods advance. This chapter highlights the significance of interdisciplinary cooperation in order to completely comprehend the latest discoveries and possible future paths of quantum Biology, highlighting its revolutionary influence on our comprehension of life at the most basic levels. Key words: Quantum Biology, tunneling, avian magnetoreception, enzyme catalysis
Abstract A series of seminal technological revolutions has led to a new generation of electronic devices miniaturized to such tiny scales that the strange laws of quantum physics come into play. There is no doubt that, unlike scientists and engineers of the past, technology leaders of the future will have to rely on quantum mechanics in their everyday work. This makes teaching and learning the subject of paramount importance for further progress. Mastering quantum physics is a very non-trivial task and its deep understanding can only be achieved through working out real-life problems and examples. It is notoriously difficult to come up with new quantum-mechanical problems that would be solvable with a pencil and paper, and within a finite amount of time. This book presents some 700+ original problems in quantum mechanics together with detailed solutions, covering nearly 1,000 pages on all aspects of quantum science.
Physical theories often start out as theories which only embrace essential features of the macroscopic world, where their predictions depend on certain parameters that have to be either assumed or taken from experiments; as a result these parameters cannot be predicted by such theories. To understand why the parameters have the values they do, we have to go one level deeper—typically to smaller scales where the easiest processes to study are the ones at the lowest level. When the deeper level reduces the number of unknown parameters, we consider the theory to be complete and satisfactory. The level below conventional molecular biology is spanned by atomic and molecular structure and by quantum dynamics. However, it is also true that at the lowest level it becomes very difficult to grasp all the features of the molecular processes that occur in living systems such that the complexity of the numerous parameters that are involved make the endeavour a very intricate one. Information theory provides a powerful framework for extracting essential features of complicated processes of life, and then analyzing them in a systematic manner. In connection to the latter, quantum information biology is a new field of scientific inquiry in which information-theoretical tools and concepts are permitting to get insight into some of the most basic and yet unsolved questions of molecular biology.