After the theory of quantum mechanics was developed scientists and biologists started looking for its role in plants and animals. They focused their attention on migratory birds that travel extreme long distances every year using the magnetic field of the earth. Scientists chose the European robin bird that travels every year from Scandinavia to Africa and return back in spring. They found that in spite of the magnetic field when the birds were blindfolded they could not find the correct direction.
This suggested that there was something in the eye that was co related to finding the magnetic field of the earth. In 2000 a scientist suggested that quantum entanglement can give a possible explanation. Further study revealed that the eye of robin had a specific type of molecule called cryptochromes. This molecule when exposed to light creates a pair of particle that is in quantum entanglement. This pair oscillates between different quantum states until it is disturbed. But the magnetic field of the earth somehow forces the pair of particles to stay in a particular state for a longer time due to which the brain creates a signal. This signal is the magnetic field sensor which helps the bird to find the correct direction. This theory has been verified by independent measurements and proved.
Similarly in enzymes which are basically protein structures, it has been noticed that it speeds up the bio chemical reactions dramatically. This speed up cannot be described by classical mechanics and only quantum tunneling can be the possible explanation. Quantum tunneling is the phenomenon in which a sub atomic particle when it faces a barrier it crosses over it without going through it. As per classical mechanics it is not possible. Therefore the speed of the bio chemical reactions can be due to quantum tunneling. But scientists still don’t understand its full role and value fully in enzyme catalysis.
Similar is the case with photosynthesis. The energy transfer process in photosynthesis is the most efficient thing known to man. It involves a molecule called chromophore. When sunlight strikes this molecule it creates a charged quasi particle called exciton. This particle moves to the main reaction center and reacts with other molecules to convert its energy to chemical energy.
But the way QM excited the physicists; it has not caught up that way with the biologists and chemists. Therefore research on quantum biology is relatively less. But if quantum mechanics is playing a role in cells and molecules then it may be so that its action may be going on inside human body also. Scientists have now only started scratching the surface of quantum biology; a lot of work is yet to be done.
Great job scientist has gone so far in aim to get the necessary fact of nature Wow I can now understand some feature of magnetic field in nature