3 The Dirac Electron and Basic Physical Concepts
67
over antimatter for elementary particles, levogyre over dextrogyre amino-acids in
protein macro-molecules.
The third rule starts applying at the lowest level: particles may constitute complex systems without going through molecular structures and living organisms. Hydrogen is the main constituent of complex stars like the Sun while nucleons make up
neutron stars. Some Sun-like stars drive complex systems of planets and satellites,
and in turn they belong to galaxies. At the cosmic scale, the first two rules make
the very weak gravitational force control the auto-organization process, although
nuclear forces are still effective in the core of stars and electromagnetic radiation
in their environment. In fact, the rise of complexity in the micro-systems seems to
be conditioned by that in the macro-structures. It is as if the whole process aims
at producing life in the Universe: changes in the original conditions or in universal
constants may not allow the process to be completed [33, 34].
The electrostatic force, in its quantum version involving antisymmetry of the
wave function for particles obeying the Fermi-Dirac statistics, plays the main role
in chemical bonding and in the structure and properties of molecules, including
biomolecules. However, according to our second rule, the magnetostatic and weak
nuclear forces could also affect specific biological phenomena. On line with this
idea, investigations have since long been made on a possible role of the weak nuclear force in biomolecular homochirality [60].
Regarding magnetism (which is due mainly to the electron spin), it occurs in
various aspects of our daily life, from the oxygen we breathe to the hard disks of
our computers. It is also involved in magnetoreception [61], an extra sense that
allows various species to detect magnetic fields due to motions in the Earth nucleus
or storms in the Sun corona. It has been detected in bacteria, mushrooms, insects,
sea animals, small mammals, and migrating birds [61]. In most cases, it is due to
magnetosensitive proteins in the brain (hippocampus) or in sense organs (especially
in the eyes).
Living organisms may also be sensitive to electromagnetic waves, irrespective
of their energy content [62, 63]. The gigantic amount of invisible information surrounding us (decoded by radio, TV, computer or cell-phone devices) might act, in
the long run, on proteins or nucleic acids in the brain or in the body, with unpredictable effects.
Regarding the gravitational force, an influence on biological phenomena, in particular through natural selection, has been recognized [64]. In addition to acting
indirectly on the environment through the seasons and daily cycles, gravitation may
act directly at the cell level. Observations on cosmonauts undergoing microgravity
will tell more.
The relevance of this discussion to our topic is that, according to our conjecture,
not only the magnetic moment but also the rest mass of the electron is related to
its spin motion (and its interplay with its antiparticle), the resulting fermion properties being responsible for chemical bonding. Deeper knowledge of the electron
microcosm may then be a key to better understanding of biological phenomena.
Coming back to the physical realm, a convenient and consistent system of quantities (and units) has eventually been designed: the International System (SI). In
67
over antimatter for elementary particles, levogyre over dextrogyre amino-acids in
protein macro-molecules.
The third rule starts applying at the lowest level: particles may constitute complex systems without going through molecular structures and living organisms. Hydrogen is the main constituent of complex stars like the Sun while nucleons make up
neutron stars. Some Sun-like stars drive complex systems of planets and satellites,
and in turn they belong to galaxies. At the cosmic scale, the first two rules make
the very weak gravitational force control the auto-organization process, although
nuclear forces are still effective in the core of stars and electromagnetic radiation
in their environment. In fact, the rise of complexity in the micro-systems seems to
be conditioned by that in the macro-structures. It is as if the whole process aims
at producing life in the Universe: changes in the original conditions or in universal
constants may not allow the process to be completed [33, 34].
The electrostatic force, in its quantum version involving antisymmetry of the
wave function for particles obeying the Fermi-Dirac statistics, plays the main role
in chemical bonding and in the structure and properties of molecules, including
biomolecules. However, according to our second rule, the magnetostatic and weak
nuclear forces could also affect specific biological phenomena. On line with this
idea, investigations have since long been made on a possible role of the weak nuclear force in biomolecular homochirality [60].
Regarding magnetism (which is due mainly to the electron spin), it occurs in
various aspects of our daily life, from the oxygen we breathe to the hard disks of
our computers. It is also involved in magnetoreception [61], an extra sense that
allows various species to detect magnetic fields due to motions in the Earth nucleus
or storms in the Sun corona. It has been detected in bacteria, mushrooms, insects,
sea animals, small mammals, and migrating birds [61]. In most cases, it is due to
magnetosensitive proteins in the brain (hippocampus) or in sense organs (especially
in the eyes).
Living organisms may also be sensitive to electromagnetic waves, irrespective
of their energy content [62, 63]. The gigantic amount of invisible information surrounding us (decoded by radio, TV, computer or cell-phone devices) might act, in
the long run, on proteins or nucleic acids in the brain or in the body, with unpredictable effects.
Regarding the gravitational force, an influence on biological phenomena, in particular through natural selection, has been recognized [64]. In addition to acting
indirectly on the environment through the seasons and daily cycles, gravitation may
act directly at the cell level. Observations on cosmonauts undergoing microgravity
will tell more.
The relevance of this discussion to our topic is that, according to our conjecture,
not only the magnetic moment but also the rest mass of the electron is related to
its spin motion (and its interplay with its antiparticle), the resulting fermion properties being responsible for chemical bonding. Deeper knowledge of the electron
microcosm may then be a key to better understanding of biological phenomena.
Coming back to the physical realm, a convenient and consistent system of quantities (and units) has eventually been designed: the International System (SI). In