Human high intelligence is involved in spectral redshift of biophotonic activities in the brain.

Author: Wang Z1, Wang N1, Li Z1, Xiao F2, Dai J3
Affiliation:
1Wuhan Institute for Neuroscience and Neuroengineering, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, China; Department of Neurobiology, The College of Life Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, China;
2Wuhan Institute for Neuroscience and Neuroengineering, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, China; Chinese Brain Bank Center, Wuhan 430074, China.
3Wuhan Institute for Neuroscience and Neuroengineering, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, China; Department of Neurobiology, The College of Life Sciences, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, China; Chinese Brain Bank Center, Wuhan 430074, China jdai@mail.scuec.edu.cn.

Conference/Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.
Date published: 2016 Jul 18
Other: Pages: 201604855 , Word Count: 188


Human beings hold higher intelligence than other animals on Earth; however, it is still unclear which brain properties might explain the underlying mechanisms. The brain is a major energy-consuming organ compared with other organs. Neural signal communications and information processing in neural circuits play an important role in the realization of various neural functions, whereas improvement in cognitive function is driven by the need for more effective communication that requires less energy. Combining the ultraweak biophoton imaging system (UBIS) with the biophoton spectral analysis device (BSAD), we found that glutamate-induced biophotonic activities and transmission in the brain, which has recently been demonstrated as a novel neural signal communication mechanism, present a spectral redshift from animals (in order of bullfrog, mouse, chicken, pig, and monkey) to humans, even up to a near-infrared wavelength (∼865 nm) in the human brain. This brain property may be a key biophysical basis for explaining high intelligence in humans because biophoton spectral redshift could be a more economical and effective measure of biophotonic signal communications and information processing in the human brain.

KEYWORDS: biophoton imaging; brain slices; glutamate; intelligence; ultraweak photon emissions

PMID: 27432962 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1604855113

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