Biophoton

For the science of interactions of light and living beings, see biophotonics.

A biophoton (from the Greek βιο meaning "life" and φωτο meaning "light"), synonymous with ultraweak photon emission, low-level biological chemiluminescence, ultraweak bioluminescence, dark luminescence and other similar terms, is a photon of light emitted from a biological system and detected by biological probes as part of the general weak electromagnetic radiation of living biological cells. Biophotons and their study should not be confused with bioluminescence, a term generally reserved for higher intensity luciferin/luciferase systems.

Biophotonics is the study, research and applications of photons in their interactions within and on biological systems. Topics of research pertain more generally to basic questions of biophysics and related subjects - for example, the regulation of biological functions, cell growth and differentiation, connections to so-called delayed luminescence, and spectral emissions in supermolecular processes in living tissues, etc.

The typical detected magnitude of "biophotons" in the visible and ultraviolet spectrum ranges from a few up to several hundred photons per second per square centimeter of surface area, much weaker than in the openly visible and well-researched phenomenon of normal bioluminescence, but stronger than in the thermal, or black body radiation that so-called perfect black bodies demonstrate. The detection of these photons has been made possible (and easier) by the development of more sensitive photomultiplier tubes and associated electronic equipment.

Biophotons were employed by the Stalin regime to diagnose cancer, and their discoverer, Alexander Gurwitsch was awarded the Stalin Prize.^[1] Various studies have indicated some potential for photon emission to be used as a diagnostic technique.^{[2] [3] [4]}

History

In the 1920s, the Russian embryologist Alexander Gurwitsch reported "ultraweak" photon emissions from living tissues in the UV-range of the spectrum. He named them "mitogenetic rays" because his experiments convinced him that they had a stimulating effect on cell division. (see Morphogenetic field) However, the failure to replicate his findings and the fact that, though cell growth can be stimulated and directed by radiation this is possible only at much higher amplitudes, evoked a general skepticism about Gurwitsch's work. In 1953 Irving Langmuir dubbed Gurwitsch's ideas pathological science.

But in the later 20th century Gurwitsch's daughter Anna, Colli, Quickenden and Inaba separately returned to the subject, referring to the phenomenon more neutrally as "dark luminescence", "low level luminescence", "ultraweak bioluminescence", or "ultraweak chemiluminescence". Their common basic hypothesis was that the phenomenon was induced from rare oxidation processes and radical reactions. Gurwitsch's basic observations were vindicated.

Proposed mechanism

Chemiexcitation via oxidative stress by reactive oxygen species(ROS) and/or catalysis by enzymes (i.e. peroxidase, lipoxygenase) is a common event in the biomolecular milieu.^[5] Such reactions can lead to the formation of triplet excited species, which release photons upon returning to a lower energy level in a process analogous to phosphorescence. That this process is a contributing factor to spontaneous biophoton emission has been indicated by studies demonstrating that biophoton emission can be attenuated by depleting assayed tissue of antioxidants^[6] or by addition of carbonyl derivitizing agents.^[7] Further support is provided by studies indicating that emission can be increased by addition of reactive oxygen species (ROS).^[8]

Since there is visible bioluminescence in many bacteria and other cells it can be inferred that the (extremely small) number of photons in ultra-weak bioluminescence is a random by-product of cellular metabolism. Cellular metabolism is thought to occur in steps, each involving small energy exchanges.(See ATP) Due to a certain degree of randomness, according to the laws of thermodynamics (or statistical mechanics), it must be expected that some irregular steps will occasionally occur, "outlying states" in which, due to physiochemical energy imbalance, a photon is emitted.

Statistical mechanics in modern biology often favours an ensemble model of systems due to the large numbers of interacting molecules, etc. In chaos theory, for example, it is often suggested that the apparent randomness of systems is due to a lack of understanding of the larger system of which the given system is a component. This has led many who deal with large systems to employ statistics to explain seemingly random events as outlying effects in probability distributions.

Hypothesized involvement in cellular communication

In the 1970s the then assistant professor Fritz-Albert Popp, and his research group, at the University of Marburg (Germany) showed that the spectral distribution of the emission fell over a wide range of wavelengths, from 200 to 800 nm. Popp proposed that the radiation might be both semi-periodic and coherent. This hypothesis has not won general acceptance among scientists who have studied the evidence. Popp's group, however, constructed, tested, patented, and sought to market a device for measuring biophoton emissions as a means of assessing the ripeness and general food value of fruits and vegetables.

Russian, German, and other biophotonics experts, often adopting the term "biophotons" from Popp, have theorized, like Gurwitsch, that they may be involved in various cell functions, such as mitosis, or even that they may be produced and detected by the DNA in the cell nucleus. In 1974 Dr. V.P.Kaznacheyev announced that his research team in Novosibirsk had detected intercellular communication by means of these rays.^[9] Until 1980s, Kaznacheyev and his team carried out about 12 000 experiments. Details of experiments are described in his book (in Russian).^[10]

Proponents additionally claim that studies have shown that injured cells will emit a higher biophoton rate than normal cells and that organisms with illnesses will likewise emit a brighter light, which has been interpreted as implying a sort of distress signal. These ideas tend to support Gurwitsch's original idea that biophotons may be important for the development of larger structures such as organs and organisms.

However such conclusions are debatable. Injured cells are under higher amounts of oxidative stress, which ultimately is the source of the light, and whether this constitutes a "distress signal" or simply a background chemical process is yet to be demonstrated.^[11] The difficulty of teasing out the effects of any supposed biophotons amid the other numerous chemical interactions between cells makes it difficult to devise a testable hypothesis. Most organisms are bathed in relatively high-intensity light that ought to swamp any signaling effect, although biophoton signaling might manifest through temporal patterns of distinct wavelengths or could mainly be used in deep tissues hidden from daylight (such as the human brain, which contains photoreceptor proteins). There remains little evidence in the scientific literature to support the existence of such a signaling mechanism. Recent review article ^[12] discusses various published theories on this kind of signaling and identifies around 30 experimental scientific articles in English in past 30 years which prove electromagnetic cellular interactions.

Direct illumination of the brain via the ear canal as a treatment for seasonal affective disorder is being researched by Valkee Ltd. and University of Oulu.^[13]

See also

• Bioluminescence
• Biophotonics
• Biophysics
• Chemiluminescence
• Kirlian photography
• L-field
• Luminophore
• Phosphorescence
• Prana
• Vitalism

Notes

1. ^ Gurwitsch and his relevant contribution to the theory of morphogenetic fields, L. V. Beloussov (Department of Embryology, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University) with additional commentary by J. M. Opitz (Pediatrics, Human Genetics and Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah) and S. F. Gilbert (Department of Biology, Martin Biological Laboratories, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore) online at http://google.com/search?q=cache:UUXqRlPRMhYJ:www.ijdb.ehu.es/web/contents.php%3Fvol%3D41%26issue%3D6%26doi%3D9449452+gurwitsch+site:http://www.ijdb.ehu.es/&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk
2. ^ Biophoton detection as a novel Technique for cancer imaging http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1349-7006.2004.tb03325.x/references
3. ^ Ultra-weak photon emission as a non-invasive tool for monitoring of oxidative processes in the epidermal cells of human skin: comparative study on the dorsal and the palm side of the hand. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20637006
4. ^ Artificial sunlight irradiation induces ultraweak photon emission in human skin fibroblasts http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TH0-44F76XN-X&_user=10&_coverDate=05/31/1993&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=a6853ef5bff634ad8a29d39ecf80033e&searchtype=a
5. ^ Cilento, Adam 1995
6. ^ Ursini et al. 1989
7. ^ Katoaka et al. 2001
8. ^ Boveris et al. 1980
9. ^ Playfair and Hill, The Cycles of Heaven, Pan 1979, p107
10. ^ V.P. Kaznacheyev, L.P. Mikhailova (1981). "Ultraweak Radiation in Cell Interactions (Sverkhslabye izlucheniya v mezhkletochnykh vzaimodeistviyakh)". Nauka. http://www.scribd.com/doc/39897582/1981-Kaznacheev-Mihkhailovna-sverlabye-Izluchenia-v-Mezikletochniych-Vzaimodeistviakh. 
11. ^ Bennett Davis (23 February 2002). "Body Talk". Kobayashi Biophoton Lab. http://www.tohtech.ac.jp/~elecs/ca/kobayashilab_hp/NewScientistE.html. Retrieved 2007-11-04. 
12. ^ Michal Cifra, Jeremy Z. Fields, Ashkan Farhadi (30 July 2010). "Electromagnetic cellular interactions". Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology 105 (3): 223–246. doi:10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2010.07.003. PMID 20674588. 
13. ^ http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01030276

Sources

• Bajpai, R.P., Popp, F.A., van Wijk, R., Niggli, H., Beloussov, L.V., Cohen, S., Jung, H.H., Sup-Soh, K., Lipkind, M., Voiekov, V.L., Slawinski, J., Aoshima, Y., Michiniewicz, Z., van Klitzing, L., Swain, J.:Biophotons (Multi-Author-Review). Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 41 (2003), Vol 5, 391-544.
• Boveris, A. Cadenas, E. Reiter, R. Filipkowski, M. Nakase, Y. Chance, B. (1980). Organ chemiluminescence: Noninvasive assay for oxidative radical reactions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. 77 (1) : 347-351
• Chang, J.J., Fisch, J., and Popp, F.A.:Biophotons. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht-Boston-London 1998.
• J.J.Chang and F.A.Popp: "Biological Organization: A Possible Mechanism based on the Coherence of Biophotons". In: Biophotons (J.J.Chang, J. Fisch and F.A.Popp, eds.), Kluwer Academic Publisher, Dordrecht-London 1998, pp. 217–227.
• Cilento, G. Adam, W. From Free Radicals to Electronically Excited Species.: Free Radical Biology and Medicine. (1995) 19(1): 103-114.
• H.Fröhlich: "Long Range Coherence and Energy Storage in Biological Systems". Int. J. Quant. Chem. 2 (1968), 641-649.
• A.G. Gurwitsch: "Über Ursachen der Zellteilung". Arch. Entw. Mech. Org. 51 (1922), 383-415.
• Katoaka, Y. Cui, Y.L. Yamagata, A. Niigaki, M. Hirohata, T. Oishi, N. Watanabe, Y.: Activity-Dependent Neural Tissue Oxidation Emits Intrinsic Ultraweak Photons. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 285 (2001): 1007-1011.
• Popp, F.A.: Biophotonen. Ein neuer Weg zur Lösung des Krebsproblems. Schriftenreihe Krebsgeschehen, Vol.6, Verlag für Medizin, Dr. Ewald Fischer, Heidelberg 1976.
• Popp, F.A., Gu, Q., and Li, K.H.:Biophoton Emission: Experimentell Background and Theoretical Approaches. Modern Physics Letters B8 (1994), 1269-1296.
• Popp, F.A., Gurwitsch, A.A., Inaba, H., Slawinski, J., Cilento G., van Wijk, R., Chwirot B., and Nagl, W.: Biophoton Emission (Multi-Author Review), Experientia 44 (1988), 543-600.
• Popp, F.A., Ruth, B., Bahr, W., Böhm, J., Grass, P., Grolig, G., Rattemeyer, M., Schmidt, H.G., and Wulle, P.:Emission of visible and ultraviolet radiation by active biological systems. Collective Phenomena (Gordon&Breach), Vol.3 (1981), pp. 187–214.
• Popp, F.A., Yan, Yu: Delayed luminescence of biological systems in terms of coherent states. Physics Letters A 293 (2002), 93-97.
• Radiofrequency and microwave radiation of biological origin – their possible role in biocommunication. Psychoenergetic Systems, Vol.3 (1979), pp. 133–154.
• Raschke T, Koop U, Dusing HJ, Filbry A, Sauermann K, Jaspers S, Wenck H, Wittern KP.: Topical activity of ascorbic acid: from in vitro optimization to in vivo efficacy. Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2004 Jul-Aug;17(4):200-6.
• Rattemeyer, M., Popp, F.A., and Nagl, W.: Evidence of photon emission from DNA in living systems. Naturwissenschaften 68 (1981), 572-573.
• Ruth, B. In: Electromagnetic Bio-Information (F.A.Popp, G.Becker, H.L.König and W.Peschka, eds.), Urban &Schwarzenberg, München-Wien-Baltimore 1979. This paper contains the historical background of biophotons.
• Ruth, B. and F.A.Popp: Experimentelle Untersuchungen zur ultraschwachen Photonenemission biologischer Systeme. Z.Naturforsch.31
• Ursini, F. Barsacchi, R. Pelosi, G. Benassi, A.: Oxidative stress in the Rat Heart, Studies on Low-Level Chemiluminescence. Journal of Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence. 4(1) (1989) 241-244.
• Yan, Y., Popp, F.A., Sigrist, S., Schlesinger, D., Dolf, A., Yan, Z., Cohen, S., and Chotia, A.:Further analysis of delayed luminescence of plants, Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology 78 (2005),229-234.

External links

• Marco Bischof's Bibliography on biophoton research and related subjects
• G.J. Hyland's Fundaments of Coherence in Biology
• Photonics TechnologyWorld, "Our Bodies, Our Photons". October 1998 Edition.
• Tilbury, Gregg, Percival, Matich: "Ultraweak Chemiluminescence from Human Blood Plasma"
• F.A. Popp, et al., Recent Advances in Biophoton Research and its Application
• F.A. Popp, Biophotonics
• International Institute of Biophysics
• Ultraweak photon emission UPE - Exchanging experimental data and discussion
• Imaging of Ultraweak Spontaneous Photon Emission from Human Body Displaying Diurnal Rhythm [1]