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Researchers: The colorful squid does it via a “marvelous molecular machine”

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A marvelous molecular machine

The adaptive iridocytes in the skin of the California market squid are able tune color through most of the spectrum.  Credit: University of California – Santa Barbara

They uncovered some of the secrets of the California Market Squid:

“We had no idea that the mechanism we would discover would turn out to be so remarkably complex yet contained and so elegantly integrated in one multifunctional molecule—the block-copolymeric reflectin—with opposing domains so delicately poised that they act like a metastable machine, continually sensing and responding to neuronal signaling by precisely adjusting the osmotic pressure of an intracellular nanostructure to precisely fine-tune the color and brightness of its reflected light,” Morse said.

What’s more, the researchers found, the whole process is reversible and cyclable, enabling the squid to continually fine-tune whatever optical properties its situation calls for.

The researchers had successfully manipulated reflectin in previous experiments, but this study marks the first demonstration of the underlying mechanism. Now it could provide new ideas to scientists and engineers designing materials with tunable properties. “Our findings reveal a fundamental link between the properties of biomolecular materials produced in living systems and the highly engineered synthetic polymers that are now being developed at the frontiers of industry and technology,” Morse said.Harrison Tasoff and Sonia Fernandez, “A marvelous molecular machine” at Phys.org

Was that a shutter banging or the ghost of Darwin rattling in the night? Hard to tell these days.

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"The results were very surprising,",,, The group had expected to find one or two spots on the protein that controlled its activity, he said. "Instead, our evidence showed that the features of the reflectins that control its signal detection and the resulting assembly are spread across the entire protein chain.",,, "We had no idea that the mechanism we would discover would turn out to be so remarkably complex yet contained and so elegantly integrated in one multifunctional molecule—the block-copolymeric reflectin—with opposing domains so delicately poised that they act like a metastable machine, continually sensing and responding to neuronal signaling by precisely adjusting the osmotic pressure of an intracellular nanostructure to precisely fine-tune the color and brightness of its reflected light," Morse said. What's more, the researchers found, the whole process is reversible and cyclable, enabling the squid to continually fine-tune whatever optical properties its situation calls for.
These reflectin proteins of the California market squid are not the only proteins that are finely tuned to the properties of light. In fact, ALL proteins "vibrate at the same frequency as the light they absorb",,, "If you tap on a bell, it rings for some time, and with a sound that is specific to the bell. This is how the proteins behave,". Moreover, just as they were surprised to find that the reflective properties of the reflectin protein were "spread across the entire protein chain", the following researchers "previously thought a protein is more like a wet sponge than a bell: If you tap on a wet sponge, you don't get any sustained sound."
Symphony of Life, Revealed: New Imaging Technique Captures Vibrations of Proteins, Tiny Motions Critical to Human Life - Jan. 16, 2014 Excerpt: To observe the protein vibrations, Markelz' team relied on an interesting characteristic of proteins: The fact that they vibrate at the same frequency as the light they absorb. This is analogous to the way wine glasses tremble and shatter when a singer hits exactly the right note. Markelz explained: Wine glasses vibrate because they are absorbing the energy of sound waves, and the shape of a glass determines what pitches of sound it can absorb. Similarly, proteins with different structures will absorb and vibrate in response to light of different frequencies. So, to study vibrations in lysozyme, Markelz and her colleagues exposed a sample to light of different frequencies and polarizations, and measured the types of light the protein absorbed.,,, The researchers were also able to see that the vibrations endured over time, challenging existing assumptions. "If you tap on a bell, it rings for some time, and with a sound that is specific to the bell. This is how the proteins behave," Markelz said. "Many scientists have previously thought a protein is more like a wet sponge than a bell: If you tap on a wet sponge, you don't get any sustained sound." http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140116084838.htm
Moreover, "a growing body of evidence shows that photons play an important role in the basic functioning of cells.",,, In fact, "neurons contain many light sensitive molecules, such as porphyrin rings, flavinic, pyridinic rings, lipid chromophores and aromatic amino acids. In particular, mitochondria, the machines inside cells which produce energy, contain several prominent chromophores. The presence of light sensitive molecules makes it hard to imagine how they might not be not influenced by biophotons.,,,"
The Puzzling Role Of Biophotons In The Brain - Dec. 17, 2010 Excerpt: In recent years, a growing body of evidence shows that photons play an important role in the basic functioning of cells. Most of this evidence comes from turning the lights off and counting the number of photons that cells produce. It turns out, much to many people’s surprise, that many cells, perhaps even most, emit light as they work. In fact, it looks very much as if many cells use light to communicate. There’s certainly evidence that bacteria, plants and even kidney cells communicate in this way. Various groups have even shown that rats brains are literally alight thanks to the photons produced by neurons as they work.,,, ,,, earlier this year, one group showed that spinal neurons in rats can actually conduct light. ,, Rahnama and co point out that neurons contain many light sensitive molecules, such as porphyrin rings, flavinic, pyridinic rings, lipid chromophores and aromatic amino acids. In particular, mitochondria, the machines inside cells which produce energy, contain several prominent chromophores. The presence of light sensitive molecules makes it hard to imagine how they might not be not influenced by biophotons.,,, http://www.technologyreview.com/view/422069/the-puzzling-role-of-biophotons-in-the-brain/
Besides proteins, it is also found that "DNA naturally fluoresces". In fact, "When excited with the right wavelength, they (DNA molecules) even light up better than they would with the best, most powerful fluorescent labels."
Researchers discover that DNA naturally fluoresces - August 15, 2016 Excerpt: For decades, textbooks have stated that macromolecules within living cells, such as DNA, RNA, and proteins, do not fluoresce on their own. Technology instead relies on special fluorescence dyes to enhance contrast when macromolecules are imaged.,,, "There are textbooks that say biological molecules don't absorb light and don't fluoresce," said Zhang, associate professor of biological engineering. "It's what everyone learns; it's a part of training, so nobody questions it.",,, Backman, Zhang, and Sun discovered that when illuminated with visible light, the molecules get excited and light up well enough to be imaged without fluorescent stains. When excited with the right wavelength, they even light up better than they would with the best, most powerful fluorescent labels. http://phys.org/news/2016-08-dna-naturally-fluoresces.html
In fact, we are literally "swimming in an ocean of light."
Are humans really beings of light? Excerpt: "We now know, today, that man is essentially a being of light.",,, "There are about 100,000 chemical reactions happening in every cell each second. The chemical reaction can only happen if the molecule which is reacting is excited by a photon... Once the photon has excited a reaction it returns to the field and is available for more reactions... We are swimming in an ocean of light." http://viewzone2.com/dna.html
In fact, "Humans Glow in Visible Light"
Strange! Humans Glow in Visible Light - Charles Q. Choi - July 22, 2009 Schematic illustration of experimental setup that found the human body, especially the face, emits visible light in small quantities that vary during the day. B is one of the test subjects. The other images show the weak emissions of visible light during totally dark conditions. The chart corresponds to the images and shows how the emissions varied during the day. The last image (I) is an infrared image of the subject showing heat emissions. http://www.livescience.com/7799-strange-humans-glow-visible-light.html
Yet the photons that humans emit are not like the 'classical light' that is reflected by the California Market Squid. The photons that humans emit are "well described by the signal in a quantum squeezed state of photons"
Photocount distribution of photons emitted from three sites of a human body - 2006 Excerpt: Signals from three representative sites of low, intermediate and high intensities are selected for further analysis. Fluctuations in these signals are measured by the probabilities of detecting different numbers of photons in a bin. The probabilities have non-classical features and are well described by the signal in a quantum squeezed state of photons. Measurements with bins of three sizes yield same values of three parameters of the squeezed state. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16520060
Of related interest to humans "glowing with visible light", in the following paper, it was found that it was not possible to describe the image formation on the Shroud in classical terms but they found it necessary to describe the formation of the image on the Shroud in discrete quantum terms.
The absorbed energy in the Shroud body image formation appears as contributed by discrete (quantum) values – Giovanni Fazio, Giuseppe Mandaglio – 2008 Excerpt: This result means that the optical density distribution,, can not be attributed at the absorbed energy described in the framework of the classical physics model. It is, in fact, necessary to hypothesize a absorption by discrete values of the energy where the ‘quantum’ is equal to the one necessary to yellow one fibril. http://cab.unime.it/mus/541/1/c1a0802004.pdf
Moreover, "it would take 34 Thousand Billion (trillion) Watts of VUV radiation to make the image on the shroud."
Astonishing discovery at Christ’s tomb supports Turin Shroud – NOV 26TH 2016 Excerpt: The first attempts made to reproduce the face on the Shroud by radiation, used a CO2 laser which produced an image on a linen fabric that is similar at a macroscopic level. However, microscopic analysis showed a coloring that is too deep and many charred linen threads, features that are incompatible with the Shroud image. Instead, the results of ENEA “show that a short and intense burst of VUV directional radiation can color a linen cloth so as to reproduce many of the peculiar characteristics of the body image on the Shroud of Turin, including shades of color, the surface color of the fibrils of the outer linen fabric, and the absence of fluorescence”. ‘However, Enea scientists warn, “it should be noted that the total power of VUV radiations required to instantly color the surface of linen that corresponds to a human of average height, body surface area equal to = 2000 MW/cm2 17000 cm2 = 34 thousand billion watts makes it impractical today to reproduce the entire Shroud image using a single laser excimer, since this power cannot be produced by any VUV light source built to date (the most powerful available on the market come only to several billion watts)”. Comment The ENEA study of the Holy Shroud of Turin concluded that it would take 34 Thousand Billion (trillion) Watts of VUV radiation to make the image on the shroud. This output of electromagnetic energy remains beyond human technology. http://www.predatormastersforums.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=3014106
Verses:
Exodus 34:29-30: "Moses didn't realize as he came back down the mountain with the tablets that his face glowed from being in the presence of God. Because of this radiance upon his face, Aaron and the people of Israel were afraid to come near him." Matthew 17:1-2 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.
Supplemental note:
Near Death Experience quote, "I was in a body and the only way that I can describe it was a body of energy, or of light. And this body had a form. It had a head. It had arms and it had legs. And it was like it was made out of light. And 'it' was everything that was me. All of my memories, my consciousness, everything." - Vicky Noratuk - Vicki's Near Death Experience (She was blind from birth but she could see for the first time during her NDE) part 1 of 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e65KhcCS5-Y
Quote:
"Miracles do not happen in contradiction to nature, but only in contradiction to that which is known to us of nature." St. Augustine
bornagain77
November 19, 2019
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Reading this article strikes me that biologists are now looking for some other word than ‘design’. ‘continually fine-tune whatever optical properties its situation calls for.’ Fine tuning was picked up first by the cosmologists who also wanted to avoid the word ‘design’ New bottle, old wine.Belfast
November 19, 2019
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Let me repeat what these biologists (natural science graduates) said: "We had no idea that the mechanism we would discover would turn out to be so remarkably complex " What did these biologists think ? Ask engineers how something like this can be done... it is always remarkably complex... Would a biologist think, that a smartphone display is something simple ? :) Why are biologists - natural science graduates - always so surprised ? I tell you why...because biologists - natural science graduates - don't understand what they are looking at... They are looking at egineering SCIFI !!! p.s. Evolutionists often complain, that ID theory can't do predictions. So let me offer one: EVERYTHING WILL BE REMARKABLY COMPLEX :)martin_r
November 18, 2019
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