Category: Uncategorized

COHERENCE. "The observation at room temperature of quantum effects in a biological system is itself remarkable. A great deal of evidence does suggest that in principle such coherence can enhance the efficiency of photosynthetic units, such as the FMO (antenna) complex, even if just by a few per cent. Any small enhancement in efficiency may be biologically important." https://lnkd.in/eRUdQZj View in LinkedIn

EUROPEAN ROBINS. "It has been shown that the navigation sense was disrupted by magnetic pulses, and very weak external oscillating magnetic fields." https://lnkd.in/eRUdQZj View in LinkedIn

CHIRALITY. "Calcite crystals grown in the presence of L- and D- aspartic acids showing the break of morphological symmetry. This finding strongly suggest that the chirality of organic molecules and inorganic crystals may be mutually inherited from each other, revealing the possibility that biohomochirality may have originated from mineral surfaces on which the first form of life was evolved." https://lnkd.in/ezvX9wt View in LinkedIn

LIGHT AND MAGNETISM. "In European robins (and some other species) the navigation sense was shown to be photoreceptor based, that is, dependent on the presence of certain frequencies of ambient light. It was also shown to be sensitive to changes in the intensity of the external magnetic field, but that it readjusted over time to these changes." https://lnkd.in/eRUdQZj View in LinkedIn

ENERGETICS. "In some cases, it was found that the structured water molecules are released when the ions or molecules join a growing crystal, while in other cases, additional water molecules are trapped during crystal formation. The release or trapping of water molecules has significant enthalpic and entropic consequences." https://lnkd.in/eVX4ANS View in LinkedIn

COMPASS. "European robins have a magnetic sense that acts as an inclination compass insensitive to polarity, whereas most (although not all) magnetite-based compass models operate as a polarity-sensitive sense." https://lnkd.in/eRUdQZj View in LinkedIn

BIRD MIGRATION. "How does a robin know to fly south? The answer might be weirder than you think: Quantum physics may be involved. Jim Al-Khalili rounds up the extremely new, extremely strange world of quantum biology, where something Einstein once called “spooky action at a distance” helps birds navigate, and quantum effects might explain the origin of life itself." http://www.ted.com/talks/jim_al_khalili_how_quantum_biology_might_explain_life_s_biggest_questions?language=en View in LinkedIn

"MAGNETORECEPTION is the ability of some migrating species to navigate using the Earth’s magnetic field. The precise mechanism used, and its features, seem to vary greatly from animal to animal." https://lnkd.in/eRUdQZj View in LinkedIn

BIOMAGNETIC COMPASS. "Approximately 50 species, including birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, crustaceans and insects, are known to use the Earth’s magnetic field for orientation and navigation. Birds in particular have been intensively studied, but the biophysical mechanisms that underlie the avian magnetic compass are still poorly understood." https://lnkd.in/eyZrP9c View in LinkedIn

QUANTUM CONTROL BY ALGAE. "Algae evolved to switch quantum coherence on and off." This leads to more efficient photosynthesis; this is achieved by a mutated protein changing the structure of a protein complex, turning on and off coherence. Go green slime! https://lnkd.in/e7bYH5r View in LinkedIn