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INTRO: Could quantum mechanics — a field that Albert Einstein once derided as “spooky” — affect us in a highly personal way? Quite possibly. Theoretical research is beginning to suggest that quantum effects could drive mutations in human DNA. If true, this could change how we understand cancer, genetic disease, and even the origins of life.
Scientists once thought biological systems too warm, wet, and chaotic to experience weird quantum effects like proton tunneling, in which the particle’s waveform spreads out, allowing it to blip across an energy barrier that would normally block its passage. Generally, the more heat and chaos around, the smaller the quantum effect; so, for many years, scientists thought that in the human body quantum behaviors would be too small to matter.
But you can’t find what you aren’t looking for. As quantum physicists start to poke at the messy and complex world of biology, they are finding quantum mechanics at play, even within our DNA. Welcome to the world of quantum biology.
The iconic double helix of DNA is formed by two coiling molecular strands with bits at the center that connect like puzzle pieces, each with one of four different shapes, named with a letter. T shapes bond to A shapes, and G shapes connect with C shapes, forming what are known as “base-pairs.” These little molecular branches connect through weak attractions between their hydrogen atoms, which have a single proton and electron.
Sometimes, an error occurs and the letters are paired incorrectly — a mistake we call a point mutation. Point mutations can add up and cause problems with DNA, sometimes leading to cancer or other health problems. Most often the result of mistakes during DNA replication, point mutations also can be caused by X-ray exposure, UV radiation, or anything that excites atomic particles to move from their orderly places.
Quantum biology
For 50 years, researchers have debated whether protons switching positions between weakly bound strands of DNA could cause point mutations. The answer seemed like no. Many studies have concluded that the intermediate base-pair states created by proton switching were too unstable and short-lived to be replicated in the DNA. But a new study published in the journal Communications Physics finds that these states can be frequent and stable, and that quantum processes may drive their formation... (MORE - details)
INTRO: Could quantum mechanics — a field that Albert Einstein once derided as “spooky” — affect us in a highly personal way? Quite possibly. Theoretical research is beginning to suggest that quantum effects could drive mutations in human DNA. If true, this could change how we understand cancer, genetic disease, and even the origins of life.
Scientists once thought biological systems too warm, wet, and chaotic to experience weird quantum effects like proton tunneling, in which the particle’s waveform spreads out, allowing it to blip across an energy barrier that would normally block its passage. Generally, the more heat and chaos around, the smaller the quantum effect; so, for many years, scientists thought that in the human body quantum behaviors would be too small to matter.
But you can’t find what you aren’t looking for. As quantum physicists start to poke at the messy and complex world of biology, they are finding quantum mechanics at play, even within our DNA. Welcome to the world of quantum biology.
The iconic double helix of DNA is formed by two coiling molecular strands with bits at the center that connect like puzzle pieces, each with one of four different shapes, named with a letter. T shapes bond to A shapes, and G shapes connect with C shapes, forming what are known as “base-pairs.” These little molecular branches connect through weak attractions between their hydrogen atoms, which have a single proton and electron.
Sometimes, an error occurs and the letters are paired incorrectly — a mistake we call a point mutation. Point mutations can add up and cause problems with DNA, sometimes leading to cancer or other health problems. Most often the result of mistakes during DNA replication, point mutations also can be caused by X-ray exposure, UV radiation, or anything that excites atomic particles to move from their orderly places.
Quantum biology
For 50 years, researchers have debated whether protons switching positions between weakly bound strands of DNA could cause point mutations. The answer seemed like no. Many studies have concluded that the intermediate base-pair states created by proton switching were too unstable and short-lived to be replicated in the DNA. But a new study published in the journal Communications Physics finds that these states can be frequent and stable, and that quantum processes may drive their formation... (MORE - details)