The Quantum Potential and the Epigenetic Landscape (original) (raw)
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Quantum mechanics, heredity and the origin of life*
Journal of Theoretical Biology, 1967
A macroscopic physical system which represents a classification process requires a non-holonomic constraint. . A molecular representation of a non-holonomic constraint requires a specific rate control process or tactic catalysis. It is concluded that a quantum theory of measurement is needed to explain enzymes as well as the reliability of biological evolution.
Erwin Schroedinger, Francis Crick and epigenetic stability
Biology Direct, 2007
Schroedinger's book 'What is Life?' is widely credited for having played a crucial role in development of molecular and cellular biology. My essay revisits the issues raised by this book from the modern perspective of epigenetics and systems biology. I contrast two classes of potential mechanisms of epigenetic stability: 'epigenetic templating' and 'systems biology' approaches, and consider them from the point of view expressed by Schroedinger. I also discuss how quantum entanglement, a nonclassical feature of quantum mechanics, can help to address the 'problem of small numbers' that led Schroedinger to promote the idea of a molecular code-script for explaining the stability of biological order.
2015
This article focuses on the approach to biology in terms of quantum mechanics. Quantum biology is a hypothesis that allows experimental verification, and pretends to be a further refinement of the known gene-centric model. The state of the species is represented as the state vector in the Hilbert space, so that the evolution of this vector is described by means of quantum mechanics. Experimental verification of this hypothesis is based on the accuracy of quantum theory and the ability to quickly gather statistics when working with populations of bacteria. The positive result of such experiment would allow to apply to the living computational methods of quantum theory, which has not yet go beyond the particular "quantum effects".
Quantum Biology: Meaning and Illustrations
An idea is a thought that generates in the mind. It is a notion that exist in the mind as a representation or formulation. Usually thought is generated by one observation or the other in the environment, and this observation is always termed “issue” challenges or what you will. As long as there are issues of concern in the environment there will be ideas notions and formulations conceived and postulated into concept. In science this type of concept is termed an invention or innovation. Such innovation may remain without a brand name or not, such a case is a brand name now termed Quantum Biology. The idea of quantum Biology is old as molecular Biology’s idea because one completes the other. Quantum is a term that may seem alien to Biology because it is more much applied in physics and Chemistry, forgetting that Biology is a member of this family of science. This particular observation had been made decades ago by some other versatile scientist who have advocated for it literally and numerically. The wise say: no army can stop an idea whose time has come” probably this is the time of quantum Biology.
Emergent Quantum Mechanics David Bohm Centennial Perspectives
His scientific publications cover the fields of biology, chemistry, engineering, and physics. His recent work concerns the foundations of quantum mechanics and applications to living systems of concepts such as quantum coherence, emergent dynamics, and the flow of information, a long-standing interest that he summarized as an edited volume for Cambridge University Press titled "Self-organized Biological Dynamics and Nonlinear Control". In addition to metascience and advanced methodology, his professional interests include the philosophy and foundations of science.
The Scientific World JOURNAL, 2006
Deep quantum chemistry is a theory of deeply structured quantum fields carrying the biological information of the cell, making it able to remember, intend, represent the inner and outer world for comparison, understand what it "sees", and make choices on its structure, form, behavior and division. We suggest that deep quantum chemistry gives the cell consciousness and all the qualities and abilities related to consciousness. We use geometric symbolism, which is a pre-mathematical and philosophical approach to problems that cannot yet be handled mathematically. Using Occam's razor we have started with the simplest model that works; we presume this to be a many-dimensional, spiral fractal. We suggest that all the electrons of the large biological molecules' orbitals make one huge "cell-orbital", which is structured according to the spiral fractal nature of quantum fields. Consciousness of single cells, multi cellular structures as e.g. organs, multi-cellular organisms and multi-individual colonies (like ants) and human societies can thus be explained by deep quantum chemistry. When biochemical activity is strictly controlled by the quantum-mechanical super-orbital of the cell, this orbital can deliver energetic quanta as biological information, distributed through many fractal levels of the cell to guide form and behavior of an individual single or a multi-cellular organism. The top level of information is the consciousness of the cell or organism, which controls all the biochemical processes. By this speculative work inspired by Penrose and Hameroff we hope to inspire other researchers to formulate more strict and mathematically correct hypothesis on the complex and coherence nature of matter, life and consciousness.
SPEAKABLE AND UNSPEAKABLE MATHEMATICS OF EPIGENETICS
Pharma-iq , 2017
Evolutionary epigenetics is the 21st century attempt to study nongenetic inheritance ( epigenetic factors, cytoplasmic and somatic factors, parasites,symbionts, ambient environment, culture & behaviour, membrane inheritance, structural inheritance,etc ). C.V. Waddington (1905 - 1975), founder of extended inheritance theory and evolutionary epigenetics, made a mathematical discovery in 1940s. He discovered a new topological object which Waddington called as " multidimensional chreod"(1957).Later, famous topologist Rene Thom had found unexpected generalization of Waddington's discovery in his surrealist ( in agreement with Salvador Dali ) "Catastrophe theory " (1975). The next step was made by KAM theorists ( Kolmogorov, Arnold and Moser) in 1980s. Today's vast literature on catastrophe theory may suggest new nontrivial applications of Catastrophes - Chreod mathematics in evolutionary epigenetics and developmental biology. In particularly, some quantum analogies from quantum computation theory for eevolutionary epigenetics and developmental biology ( surface code, Waddington - Thom quantum - like channels of information in embryogenesis, Halevo - Garcia - Patron - Giovannetti theorem (2014), etc ) are considered. Published online version could be found at : https ://www.pharma-iq.com/contributor/michael-a-popov .
Quantum Evolution and Genetic Mutations
Qeios, 2024
One of the important problems in quantum biology has been explained in this work. It is the main reason for genetic mutation, which is known as the origin of evolution in organisms. An approach to clarify the main reason for mutation is quantum mechanics. A brief history of genetics, new-Darwinism, and Mendelian inheritance from ancient times to the twentieth century has been presented. The meaning and location of chromosomes and genes in cells, DNA structure, the replication mechanism, the genetic code, tautomeric forms, and the application of quantum mechanics have been described. Finally, we present the importance of quantum tunnelling in playing a main role in the mutation.
The origins of quantum biology
Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
Quantum biology is usually considered to be a new discipline, arising from recent research that suggests that biological phenomena such as photosynthesis, enzyme catalysis, avian navigation or olfaction may not only operate within the bounds of classical physics but also make use of a number of the non-trivial features of quantum mechanics, such as coherence, tunnelling and, perhaps, entanglement. However, although the most significant findings have emerged in the past two decades, the roots of quantum biology go much deeper—to the quantum pioneers of the early twentieth century. We will argue that some of the insights provided by these pioneering physicists remain relevant to our understanding of quantum biology today.