Quantum biology

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Quantum biology is the scientific study of biological processes in terms of quantum mechanics. This nascent field is one of the first efforts to apply quantum theory to systems more macroscopic than the atomic or subatomic realms generally described by quantum theory.

The following biological phenomena have been studied in terms of quantum processes:

• the absorbance of frequency-specific radiation (i.e., photosynthesis and vision);
• the conversion of chemical energy into motion;
• magnetoreception in animals.

Quantum biological research is extremely limited by computer processing power; the analytical power required to model quantum effects increases exponentially with the number of particles involved.

[edit] References

• nanoword.net
• Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign