Functional quantum biology in photosynthesis and magnetoreception
Abstract
Is there a functional role for quantum mechanics or coherent quantum effects in biological processes? While this question is as old as quantum theory, only recently have measurements on biological systems on ultra-fast time-scales shed light on a possible answer. In this review we give an overview of the two main candidates for biological systems which may harness such functional quantum effects: photosynthesis and magnetoreception. We discuss some of the latest evidence both for and against room temperature quantum coherence, and consider whether there is truly a functional role for coherence in these biological mechanisms. Finally, we give a brief overview of some more speculative examples of functional quantum biology including the sense of smell, long-range quantum tunneling in proteins, biological photoreceptors, and the flow of ions across a cell membrane.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1205.0883,
title = {Functional quantum biology in photosynthesis and magnetoreception},
author = {Neill Lambert and Yueh-Nan Chen and Yuan-Chung Cheng and Che-Ming Li and Guang-Yin Chen and Franco Nori},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1205.0883},
year = {2012}
}
Comments
31 pages, 9 figures