Radical pairs may play a role in microtubule reorganization
- URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2109.14055v1
- Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2021 21:23:12 GMT
- Title: Radical pairs may play a role in microtubule reorganization
- Authors: Hadi Zadeh-Haghighi and Christoph Simon
- Abstract summary: It has been proposed that anesthetics selectively prevent consciousness and memory via acting on microtubules (MTs)
We show that magnetic fields can modulate spin dynamics of naturally occurring radical pairs in MT.
The findings of this work make a connection between microtubule-based and radical pair-based quantum theories of consciousness.
- Score: 0.0
- License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
- Abstract: The exact mechanism behind general anesthesia remains an open question in
neuroscience. It has been proposed that anesthetics selectively prevent
consciousness and memory via acting on microtubules (MTs). It is known that the
magnetic field modulates MT organization. A recent study shows that a radical
pair model can explain the isotope effect in xenon-induced anesthesia and
predicts magnetic field effects on anesthetic potency. Further, reactive oxygen
species are also implicated in MT stability and anesthesia. Based on a simple
radical pair mechanism model and a simple mathematical model of MT
organization, we show that magnetic fields can modulate spin dynamics of
naturally occurring radical pairs in MT. We show that the spin dynamics
influence a rate in the reaction cycle, which translates into a change in the
MT density. We can reproduce magnetic field effects on the MT concentration
that have been observed. Our model also predicts additional effects at slightly
higher fields. Our model further predicts that the effect of zinc on the MT
density exhibits isotopic dependence. The findings of this work make a
connection between microtubule-based and radical pair-based quantum theories of
consciousness.
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