Figure 2.

Coherent energy transfer in microtubule chromophore networks is stimulated by ultraweak photoemissions due to mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Filamentous mitochondria are co-located with microtubules in the brain, suggesting that mitochondrial ROS production during respiratory activity may affect neuronal activity. Specific ROS (red and white), particularly triplet carbonyls (red and black), emit in the UV range, where aromatic networks composed of mainly tryptophan and tyrosine may be able to absorb and transfer this energy along the length of neuronal microtubules. The propagation of these excitons extends on the order of dendritic length scales and beyond, indicating that ultraweak photoemissions may be a diagnostic hallmark for neurodegenerative disease and have implications for aging processes.