Biology

Quantum Biology

Quantum biology investigates whether non-trivial quantum mechanical effects play functional roles in living systems. The evidence is mounting. Photosynthetic complexes in plants and bacteria achieve near-perfect energy transfer efficiency through quantum coherence — excitons exploring multiple pathways simultaneously. Magnetoreception in migratory birds appears to rely on radical pair mechanisms that are sensitive to quantum spin dynamics. Enzyme catalysis exploits tunneling. Even mutations in DNA may involve quantum superposition of proton positions in hydrogen bonds.