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Cited by 406Quantum Mechanics and ApplicationsAdvanced Physical and Chemical Molecular InteractionsAtomic and Molecular Physics

Quantum mechanical tunnelling in biological systems

Devault, Don·1980·Quarterly Reviews of Biophysics
DOI 10.1017/s003358350000175x
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Abstract

‘Tunnelling’ is the metaphorical name given to the process, possible in quantum mechanics, but not in classical mechanics, whereby a particle can disappear from one side of a potential-energy barrier and appear on the other side without having enough kinetic energy to mount the barrier. One can think of this as a manifestation of the wave-nature of particles. The wavelength is larger if a particle is lighter. In particular electrons, being very light compared to atoms, have wavelengths as large or larger than atoms at energies found in the valence shells of molecules. Thus, they easily ooze through and around atoms and molecules. We are also concerned with the tunnelling of heavy particles: nuclei, atoms, molecules.

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  • Thermal noise in stationary non-equilibrium systems may support the existence of quantum coherence and entanglement.

    “early work in quantum information science, for example, has shown that thermal noise in stationary non-equilibrium systems may in fact support the existence of quantum coherence and entanglement [4, 5].”

    From Vibrations, quanta and biology (2013) · cites this paper as [4]

  • Interaction between system and environment may lead to creation of quantum properties such as coherence and entanglement.

    “it was realized in that field that the interaction between system and environment may lead to the creation of quantum properties such as coherence and entanglement [4]”

    From Vibrations, quanta and biology (2013) · cites this paper as [4]

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Authors
Devault, D.
Affiliations
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
Corresponding author
Devault, Don
Venue
Quarterly Reviews of Biophysics
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Published
1980-11
Volume
13
Issue
4
Pages
387-564
ISSN
  • 0033-5835 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-8994
DOI
10.1017/s003358350000175x
OpenAlex
W2106021839
Cited by
406
References
459
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 7
FWCI
1.00
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.cambridge.org/core/terms (unspecified, 10363 d)
Locations
  • Quarterly Reviews of Biophysics (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Quantum Mechanics and Applications
  • Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Physical and Theoretical Chemistry › Advanced Physical and Chemical Molecular Interactions
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics › Atomic and Molecular Physics
Keywords
quantum tunneling, biological systems, potential barrier, wave-particle duality, electron tunneling, valence shell
MeSH terms
Animals, Electron Transport, Kinetics, Mathematics, Mitochondria, Models, Biological, Oxidation-Reduction, Oxidative Phosphorylation, Photosynthesis, Quantum Theory

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