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Ultrafast Quantum Mechanical Processes in Animals

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Book cover Ultrafast Biophotonics

Part of the book series: Biological and Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering ((BIOMEDICAL))

Abstract

Several biologically-relevant functionalities are known which are initiated by ultrafast elementary photochemical reactions like energy/charge transfer, radical pair production and cis-trans-isomerizations. Such reactions are driven by quantum mechanical processes, which contribute to making them fast, efficient and robust. This chapter presents an overview of the current understanding of ultrafast interactions involved in primary light-initiated reactions that govern magnetoreception and vision in animals. Two other mechanisms, photoreactivation of DNA and olfaction, are also mentioned.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India

    P. Vasa

  2. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India

    D. Mathur

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  1. P. Vasa
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Vasa, P., Mathur, D. (2016). Ultrafast Quantum Mechanical Processes in Animals. In: Ultrafast Biophotonics. Biological and Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39614-9_8

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