User:PhoenyxFeatherz/Quantum biology

(Edit thus far of existent Header): Enzymatic activity (quantum biochemistry)
Enzymes have been postulated to use quantum tunneling in order to transfer electrons from one place to another in electron transport chains. It is possible that protein quaternary architectures may have adapted to enable sustained quantum entanglement and coherence, which are two of the limiting factors for quantum tunneling in biological entities. These architectures might account for a greater percentage of quantum energy transfer, which occurs through electron transport and proton tunneling (usually in the form of hydrogen ions, H+). Tunneling refers to the ability of a subatomic particle to travel through potential energy barriers. This ability is due, in part, to the principle of complementarity, which holds that certain substances have pairs of properties that cannot be measured separately without changing the outcome of measurement. Particles, such as electrons and protons, have wave-particle duality; they can pass through energy barriers due to their wave characteristics without violating the laws of physics. In order to quantify how quantum tunneling is used in many enzymatic activities, many biophysicists utilize the observation of hydrogen ions. When hydrogen ions are transferred, this is seen as a staple in an organelle's primary energy processing network; in other words, quantum effects are most usually at work in proton distribution sites at distances on the order of fractional nanometers (~0.1nm). In physics, a semiclassical (SC) approach is most useful in defining this process because of the transfer from quantum elements (e.g. particles) to macroscopic phenomena (e.g. biochemicals). Aside from hydrogen tunneling, studies also show that electron transfers between redox centers through quantum tunneling plays an important role in enzymatic activity of photosynthesis and cellular respiration (see also Mitochondria section below). For example, electron tunneling on the order of 15–30 Å contributes to redox reactions in cellular respiration enzymes, such as complexes I, III, and IV in mitochondria. Without quantum tunneling, organisms would not be able to convert energy quickly enough to sustain growth. Quantum tunneling actually acts as a shortcut for particle transfer; according to quantum mathematics, a particle's jump from in front of a barrier to the other side of a barrier occurs faster than if the barrier had never been there in the first place. (For more on the technicality of this, see Hartman effect.)

Mitochondria
Organelles, such as mitochondria, are thought to utilize quantum tunneling in order to translate intracellular energy. Traditionally, mitochondria are known to generate most of the cell's energy in the form of chemical ATP. Mitochondria conversion of biomass into chemical ATP is 60-70% efficient, which is superior than the classical regime of man-made engines. To achieve chemical ATP, researchers have found that a preliminary stage before chemical conversion is necessary; this step, via the quantum tunneling of electrons and hydrogen ions (H+), requires a deeper look at the quantum physics that occurs within the organelle.

Because tunneling is a quantum mechanism, it is important to understand how this process may occur for particle transfer in a biological system. Tunneling is largely dependent upon the shape and size of a potential barrier, relative to the incoming energy of a particle. Because the incoming particle can be defined by a wave equation, its tunneling probability is dependent upon the potential barrier's shape in an exponential way, meaning that if the barrier is akin to a very wide chasm, the incoming particle's probability to tunnel will decrease. The potential barrier, in some sense, can come in the form of an actual biomaterial barrier. Mitochondria are encompassed by a membrane structure that is akin to the cellular membrane, on the order of ~75 Å (~7.5nm) thick. The inner membrane of a mitochondria must be overcome to permit signals (in the form of electrons, protons, H+) to transfer from the site of emittance (internal to the mitochondria) and the site of acceptance (i.e. the electron transport chain proteins). In order to transfer particles, the membrane of the mitochondria must have the correct density of phospholipids to conduct a relevant charge distribution that attracts the particle in question. For instance, for a greater density of phospholipids, the membrane contributes to a greater conductance of protons.

For a more technical description, the following paragraph is useful. The form of the mitochondria is known as the matrix, with inner mitochondrial membranes (IMM) and inner membrane spaces (IMS), all housing various protein sites. Mitochondria produce ATP by the oxidation of hydrogen ions from carbohydrates and fats. This process utilizes electrons in an electron transport chain (ETP). The genealogy of electron transport proceeds as follows: Electrons from NADH are transferred to NADH dehydrogenase (complex I protein), which is located in the IMM. Electrons from complex I are transferred to coenzyme Q to make CoQH2; next, electrons flow to cytochrome-containing IMM protein (complex III), which further pushes electrons to cytochrome c, where electrons flow to complex IV; complex IV is the final IMM protein complex of the ETC respiratory chain. This final protein allows electrons to reduce oxygen from an O2 molecule to a single O, so that it can bind to the hydrogen ions to produce H2O. The energy produced from the movement of electrons through the ETC induces proton movement (known as H+ pumping) out of the mitochondria matrix into the IMS. Because any charge movement creates a magnetic field, the IMS now houses a capacitance across the matrix. The capacitance is akin to potential energy, or what is known as a potential barrier. This potential energy guides ATP synthesis via complex V (ATP synthase), which conflates ADP with another P to create ATP by pushing protons (H+) back into the matrix (this process is known as oxidative phosphorylation). Finally, the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) houses a voltage-dependent anion channel called the VDAC. This site is important for converting energy signals into electro-chemical outputs for ATP transfer.