Quantum Biophysics is the science that combines the advances of quantum physics with the study of biological systems. In recent decades, there has been a growing need to incorporate quantum theory into the study of living organisms. Especially because life expresses itself in an extremely efficient way. Furthermore, living matter is characterized by a highly organized state. Biological coherence is an important quantum phenomenon that determines this organization through implicit synchronization.
‘Quantum biophysics is based on a wave theory of matter’
Over the past few years, research in quantum biophysics has shown that quantum effects play a role in the way living organisms function. We are beginning to learn more and more about these quantum phenomena, such as photosynthesis, enzymatic action, genetic inheritance, birds’ orientation along the Earth’s magnetic field, and cellular biophotonic emission.
Precursors to Quantum Biophysics
The early studies in quantum biophysics are closely related to the process of photosynthesis. Studies have shown that energy transmission is nearly 100% efficient, far exceeding the current efficiency of solar panels. This is possible because the excited electron, as it is transferred through the chlorophyll labyrinth, travels along multiple paths simultaneously, in accordance with the Principle of Superposition.
Photosynthesis is a process closely related to quantum biophysics
What is the Principle of Superposition?
This is a principle that reflects just how bizarre the quantum world is. Before any measurement is taken, the quantum system can exist in multiple states at the same time; for example, it can be in two places simultaneously. This principle is the foundation of quantum computing.
The Importance of Quantum Physics
‘Quantum physics is an essential subject in biology and the health sciences.’
So far, generally speaking, the role of quantum physics in biology has been limited to its simplest form. This would include molecular recognition, the action of proteins and DNA, Van der Waals forces, discrete molecular orbitals, and the stability of matter. The kinetics of chemical reactions, acid-base balance, diffusion processes, etc., are also discussed in the absence of a higher level of organization. In general, with a few exceptions, the notion of a hierarchy of subsystems within the biological system, and any view of the organism as a whole, is usually absent.
In recent years, nontrivial quantum effects such as coherence and quantum tunneling have been discovered. Coherence is the result of cooperation and synchronization among the different parts of a system. This can only happen within a wave-like conception of matter, in which the parts act in unison. Prior to these studies, it was thought that such states of quantum coherence were impossible at relatively high temperatures, such as body temperature. Furthermore, the persistence of these coherent states is considerably longer than was initially thought.
Quantum coherence is key to explaining how electrons can pass through energy barriers that are impenetrable from a particle-based perspective. This has a direct impact on the body’s metabolic processes.
‘According to quantum physics, any physical entity is both a particle and a wave. This apparent paradox explains many phenomena in the physical world. One example would be the thermonuclear combustion processes that take place inside stars’
Quantum Biophysics as a Means of Communication
Biocommunication within the body requires quantum keys, such as the coordination of trillions of atoms through wave patterns. There are strictly wave-like properties such as wavelength, frequency of vibration, phase, and polarization that are fundamental to biological processes. Furthermore, the most subtle aspects of human beings are expressed at this wave-like level of matter. Research in the field of living matter is providing crucial insights into how the basic mechanisms associated with consciousness work. There is a non-observable quantum domain that serves as a link between the biological organism and consciousness.
Field models and theories of the zero-point field provide the tools needed to bridge the gap between mind and body. Furthermore, quantum domains would explain the fundamental interconnectedness within an organism, with other organisms, and with the environment.
