Metabolic limits on classical information processing by biological cells

• Main Authors: Fields, C. (Author), Levin, M. (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ireland Ltd 2021
• Subjects: algorithm; Algorithms; animal; Animals; article; Biochemical Phenomena; biochemistry; Bioenergetics; bioenergy; budget; calculation; cell component; cell energy; cell function; cell membrane; Cell Physiological Phenomena; communication; Decoherence; detection method; energy metabolism; Energy Metabolism; Eukaryota; eukaryote; eukaryotic cell; Eukaryotic Cells; female; human; Humans; intercellular signaling; membrane; metabolism; Metabolism; Models, Theoretical; molecular dynamics; Molecular dynamics; Molecular Dynamics Simulation; nonhuman; physiology; prediction; Prokaryota; prokaryote; prokaryotic cell; Prokaryotic Cells; protein; protein conformation; Protein conformation; protein localization; Protein localization; quantum theory; Quantum Theory; signal transduction; Signal Transduction; theoretical model
• Online Access: View Fulltext in Publisher

 Biological information processing is generally assumed to be classical. Measured cellular energy budgets of both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, however, fall orders of magnitude short of the power required to maintain classical states of protein conformation and localization at the Å, fs scales predicted by single-molecule decoherence calculations and assumed by classical molecular dynamics models. We suggest that decoherence is limited to the immediate surroundings of the cell membrane and of intercompartmental boundaries within the cell, and that bulk cellular biochemistry implements quantum information processing. Detection of Bell-inequality violations in responses to perturbation of recently-separated sister cells would provide a sensitive test of this prediction. If it is correct, modeling both intra- and intercellular communication requires quantum theory. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.