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Quantum Biology to Quantum Consciousness
Unfortunately, biological systems are so large and complex compared to standard physical systems that it is hard to separate ‘pure’ quantum effects from a large number of essentially classical
processes that are also present. Thus, there is plenty of scope for disagreement about the extent to
which life utilises non-trivial quantum processes. Given that the basic processes of biology take
place at a molecular level, employing quantum effects for greater effciency does not seem a priori
implausible. Quantum coherence, collective modes of excitation and condensation phenomena, also
offers attractive features that could shed light on the mechanisms of robustness and integrity of
biological organisms. However, it is reasonable to expect that some of life’s processes have evolved
to the ‘quantum edge’, where a compromise may be struck between speed and accuracy. Since
both physics and chemistry crucially depend on the power of quantum mechanics to provide fundamental insights into the world around us, it is natural to inquire whether biology offers examples
of phenomena where quantum mechanics is the only viable explanation. This is indeed becoming
increasingly clear, although examples of quantum effects in biology can so far be considered only a
minor part of life processes as we know them.
G. Albrecht-Buehler (1992) found by clever experimentation that living cells perceive infrared
electromagnetic waves with the peak of their sensitivity close to the wavelength of 1,000 nm. He
hypothesised that mitochondria, by proton transfer involved in energy production, release photons.
Conversely, centrioles, dubbed by him the eye of the cell, are intricately structured to absorb these
photons and trigger a signalling cascade. G. Albrecht-Buehler has been advocating a theory of cell
functioning based on his conviction that the centriole plays the key role in orchestrating cellular
activities by being both an eye and a brain of the cell. Cell movement is not random but directed
and intentional. This is a crucial characteristic that distinguishes living from non-living matter.
Cells control the movement of every part of their body. Furthermore, various parts of the cell can
be likened to parts of the human body in their functional roles. Plasma membrane and cortex correspond to the skin and the musculature of a cell, which consists of small autonomously moving
‘microplasts’. Their autonomy implies that cells contain a control system preventing the autonomous
units from moving independently and randomly. The bulk cytoplasm including the mitochondria,
organelles and intermediate flaments comprises the actual cell body excluding the nucleus, and
corresponding to the ‘guts’ and ‘innards’ of the cell body. Its main cytoskeletal components are the
intermediate flaments although microtubules (MTs) traverse this compartment everywhere. MTs
mediate between the control centre (the centriole) and the autonomous domains. The control centre
detects objects and other cells by pulsating near-infrared signals. Cells have structures functioning
essentially as their ‘eyes’ in the form of centrioles. They are able to detect infrared signals and steer
the cell movements towards their source. Evidence has been put forward that the signal detection is
strongly localised in a narrow band of the near-infrared spectrum. If cells can detect light sources
and measure space and time variables such as angles, distances, curvatures or durations, they must
be able to derive these abstract quantities from the physical objects or signals of their environment.
In response to exogenous signals, the centrosome may send destabilising signals along its radial
array of MTs. The observed destabilisation is the signal that is propagated along the MTs like along
nerves.
Engel et al.’s 2007 study of photosynthesis was a game-changer in the emerging feld of quantum
biology. Photosynthesis is a highly complicated and sophisticated mechanism that harvests light
energy to split water by using individual photons to create a cascade of reactions. The process is
extraordinarily effcient and represents a classic example of how evolution has fne-tuned the design
of a physical system to attain near-optimal performance. The primary receptor of the light energy
is a complex of pigment molecules known as chromophores that can become excited, and pass on
the energy of excitation in a multi-stage process to the fnal reaction centre where charge separation occurs. Because the wavelength of the photon is much larger than the molecular assemblage,
a superposition state of many excited pigment molecules is initially created and proceeds to evolve
over a timescale of some hundreds of femtoseconds. Fleming and his group (Engel et al., 2007)
used laser excitation and probe pulses to study the relaxation pathways of these light-harvesting
Quantum Biology to Quantum Consciousness
Unfortunately, biological systems are so large and complex compared to standard physical systems that it is hard to separate ‘pure’ quantum effects from a large number of essentially classical
processes that are also present. Thus, there is plenty of scope for disagreement about the extent to
which life utilises non-trivial quantum processes. Given that the basic processes of biology take
place at a molecular level, employing quantum effects for greater effciency does not seem a priori
implausible. Quantum coherence, collective modes of excitation and condensation phenomena, also
offers attractive features that could shed light on the mechanisms of robustness and integrity of
biological organisms. However, it is reasonable to expect that some of life’s processes have evolved
to the ‘quantum edge’, where a compromise may be struck between speed and accuracy. Since
both physics and chemistry crucially depend on the power of quantum mechanics to provide fundamental insights into the world around us, it is natural to inquire whether biology offers examples
of phenomena where quantum mechanics is the only viable explanation. This is indeed becoming
increasingly clear, although examples of quantum effects in biology can so far be considered only a
minor part of life processes as we know them.
G. Albrecht-Buehler (1992) found by clever experimentation that living cells perceive infrared
electromagnetic waves with the peak of their sensitivity close to the wavelength of 1,000 nm. He
hypothesised that mitochondria, by proton transfer involved in energy production, release photons.
Conversely, centrioles, dubbed by him the eye of the cell, are intricately structured to absorb these
photons and trigger a signalling cascade. G. Albrecht-Buehler has been advocating a theory of cell
functioning based on his conviction that the centriole plays the key role in orchestrating cellular
activities by being both an eye and a brain of the cell. Cell movement is not random but directed
and intentional. This is a crucial characteristic that distinguishes living from non-living matter.
Cells control the movement of every part of their body. Furthermore, various parts of the cell can
be likened to parts of the human body in their functional roles. Plasma membrane and cortex correspond to the skin and the musculature of a cell, which consists of small autonomously moving
‘microplasts’. Their autonomy implies that cells contain a control system preventing the autonomous
units from moving independently and randomly. The bulk cytoplasm including the mitochondria,
organelles and intermediate flaments comprises the actual cell body excluding the nucleus, and
corresponding to the ‘guts’ and ‘innards’ of the cell body. Its main cytoskeletal components are the
intermediate flaments although microtubules (MTs) traverse this compartment everywhere. MTs
mediate between the control centre (the centriole) and the autonomous domains. The control centre
detects objects and other cells by pulsating near-infrared signals. Cells have structures functioning
essentially as their ‘eyes’ in the form of centrioles. They are able to detect infrared signals and steer
the cell movements towards their source. Evidence has been put forward that the signal detection is
strongly localised in a narrow band of the near-infrared spectrum. If cells can detect light sources
and measure space and time variables such as angles, distances, curvatures or durations, they must
be able to derive these abstract quantities from the physical objects or signals of their environment.
In response to exogenous signals, the centrosome may send destabilising signals along its radial
array of MTs. The observed destabilisation is the signal that is propagated along the MTs like along
nerves.
Engel et al.’s 2007 study of photosynthesis was a game-changer in the emerging feld of quantum
biology. Photosynthesis is a highly complicated and sophisticated mechanism that harvests light
energy to split water by using individual photons to create a cascade of reactions. The process is
extraordinarily effcient and represents a classic example of how evolution has fne-tuned the design
of a physical system to attain near-optimal performance. The primary receptor of the light energy
is a complex of pigment molecules known as chromophores that can become excited, and pass on
the energy of excitation in a multi-stage process to the fnal reaction centre where charge separation occurs. Because the wavelength of the photon is much larger than the molecular assemblage,
a superposition state of many excited pigment molecules is initially created and proceeds to evolve
over a timescale of some hundreds of femtoseconds. Fleming and his group (Engel et al., 2007)
used laser excitation and probe pulses to study the relaxation pathways of these light-harvesting