The search for biological quantum computer elements

The difficulties encountered in explaining the capacities of the human brain to generate conscious experiences with a neuron switching model has lead researchers to speculate that quantum phenomena may be involved in the human thinking process. This speculation goes beyond acknowledgement of the quantum mechanical basis for bio-molecular chemistry but suggests the architecture of brain functioning parallels the architecture of quantum computers. In this model classically observed neural components act like transmitting and receiving channels to quantum elements analogous to the state-preparation and measurement components in quantum computer architectures. Theories proposed by Penrose and Hameroff suggest such quantum element fields may be supplied by the microtubule structure encountered in neurons, while the DNA field has also been proposed as a candidate for quantum computation. Objections to the quantum brain model rests primarily on the de-coherence expected in the warm-soup environment which simply compounds the isolation difficulties encountered in conventional approaches to quantum computer element construction.