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Molecular Base of Life

Fritz-Albert Popp

In our paper on light oscillations in living systems (Y.Yan et.al., in prep.), we come back to a proposal of Li and Popp. It claims exciplex systems of biological systems to be the molecular base of life altogether. Exciplexes (excited complexes) are metastable states of always two similar molecules physically bound in such a way that the (ideal) groundstate is formed by the separated molecules and the (ideal) excited state corresponds to the strongly bound molecule, forming, for instance, a dimer. Between these states there are the many possible steps of excited complexes of both partners. They are linked by a manifold of different binding forces, e.g. H-bridging, van-der-Waals binding forces, partially also charge transfer, ionic or exchange forces. Exciplexes are formed by all base pairs of the DNA, in a perpendicular as well as in a parallel direction to the DNA strand axis. The fundamental biological importance of the exciplex formation concerns their extraordinary capacity in establishing powerful photon traps. According to our proposals the network of photon traps in the biological system is at the same time the basic source of the communication system of the living system. By mutual absorption and emission (annihilation and creation) of photons within this network, intracellular as well as intercellular communication takes place where the "sucking potentials" of the traps and the available light intensities are the decisive regulatory quantities of the three-dimensional channel system of the cells communication base. We now have some evidence of the existence and of some rather interesting properties of this system. Therefore we use this occasion to explain the most decisive properties of exciplex states in terms of their photon sucking potential. From the physical point of view this is the most necessary and fundamental theoretical approach in order to understand the whole communication theory of living systems.

Let us start with a Hamiltonian H = H1+H2, where H1 = E1 a+a  and H2 = ga⁺ + g*a,, and a, a+ are the annihilation and creation operator, respectively, following [a,a+] =1. The brackets shall denote the normalized commutation relation.

The eigenstates of H1 shall be /0> and /1> with E1a+a/0>=0 /0> and E1a+a/1> = E1/1>.They correspond to the ground state and an excited state of the exciplexes, respectively. They are number states with 0 and 1 photon, respectively. We also provide a/0> = 0, a/1>=/0>, as well as <0/a+ = <1/ without loss of general validity in this most simple approach.

Consequently, we get <0/H1/0>=0, <1/H1/1>=E1, <0/H2/0>=0, <1/H2/1>=0, <0/H2/1> = g*,  <1/H2/0> =g.

Solving the Schrödinger equation (H1+H2) (c/0>+((1-c)²)^1/2)/1>) = E (c/0>+(1-c²)^1/2/1>), one gets the following results by straight forward calculation

E = 1/2 (E1+/- (E1²+4g*g)^1/2)

c ²= (g*g)/( (g*g) + E²)

From these results it is evident that as soon as g*g does not disappear, one of the solutions always has an energy value that is higher than E1, but at the same time one that is certainly negative. The first case corresponds to superradiance (constructive interference), the second one to subradiance (destructive interference) according to Dicke´s theory. The important message of this note is

The exciplex states form photon traps (E<0) as soon as they are excited by coherent radiation of suitable wavelengths.This mechanism provides the very basis of life since it opens an infinite play of competition for light with infinite possibilities of modulations in all frequency ranges lower than ionizing UV. This mechanism  is universal in all living systems.

References

F.A.Popp: Molecular Aspects of Carcinogenesis. In. E.Deutsch, K.Moser, H.Rainer and A.Stacher (eds.), Molecular Base of Malignancy. G.Thieme, Stuttgart 1976, 47-55.

K.H.Li: Bioluminescence and stimulated coherent radiation. Laser und Elektrooptik 3 (1981), 32-35.

K.H.Li and F.A.Popp: Dynamics of DNA Excited States. In: Molecular and Biological Physics of Living Systems, ed. K.Mishra, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht-Boston, 1990, p 31-52.

F.A.Popp and W. Nagl: Towards an Understanding of stacked base interactions. Non-equilibrium phase transitions as a possible model. Polymer Bulletin 15 (1986), 89-91.

F.A.Popp. In: F.A.Popp et.al. Multiauthor Review: Biophoton Emission. Experientia 44 (1988), 543-600.

F.A.Popp and J.Deny: Biophotonen-Information und Chaostheorie. In: H.Stacher ed., Ganzheitsmedizin. Zweiter Wiener Dialog. Facultas Universitätsverlag Wien 1991, 53-66.

F.A.Popp and J.J.Chang: Mechanism of interaction between electromagnetic fields and living organisms. Science in China Series C, Vol 43, No.5 (2000), 507-518.

F.A.Popp and Y..Yan: Delayed luminescence of biological systems in terms of coherent states. Phys.Lett. A, 293 (2002), 91-97.

P.Vigny and M.Duquesne: On the fluorescence properties of nucleotides and polynucleotides at room temperature. In. J.B.Birks (ed.): Excited states of biological molecules. J.Wiley, London -New York 1976, pp 167-177.