Holographic Processes Involved in Rhodopsin-Mediated Phototaxis?

Abstract

Phototaxis is a light-oriented locomotion found from bacteria to marine invertebrates. In many species, the photoreceptors are molecules of rhodopsin, a protein made of seven α-helical structures embedding a chromophore. Light absorption by the rhodopsin chromophore is transduced to modulate cilia motility and, finally, to alter swimming direction of the micro-organisms. Interestingly, it is well established that rhodopsin is endowed with holographic recording properties. Thus, it may be hypothesized that holographic recording of patterns of light coming from the surroundings play a role in the phototactic behaviour. Such putative functions of rhodopsin in the living organisms might be studied by technological tools, similar to those already used to investigate the holographic recording properties of artificially made rhodopsin material. Moreover, phototaxis mediated by rhodopsin might offer a relatively simple paradigm for searching so far unknown holographic–quantum–processes putatively associated with memory and learning of higher living organisms.