The entropy generation in visual-pigment system by the absorption of light

Etsuro Ito; Toshiro Komatsu; Hideo Suzuki

doi:10.1016/S0301-4622(98)00165-3

The entropy generation in visual-pigment system by the absorption of light

Etsuro Ito^*, Toshiro Komatsu, Hideo Suzuki

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We first showed a general theory that reception of information from the outside in a receptor system is accompanied both by an inflow of entropy and by a generation of entropy depending on the reliability of the actual reception mechanism. Then, considering a case for the absorption of light by the visual-pigment system of visual cell, we calculated the time(t)-dependent change in the number N₂(t) of excited visual-pigments to obtain the entropy increase. We thus arrived at the following four conclusions: (1) One or two photons can be detected with a reliability of at least 54%; (2) In compensation for this detection, entropy > 1.12 x log2 is generated; (3) An incident photon of frequency v from a light source of temperature T(s) yields an entropy of hv/T(s); and (4) Depending on the characteristics of the visual-pigment system, another entropy being different from (2) is generated in proportion to N₂(t).

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	59-70
Number of pages	12
Journal	Biophysical Chemistry
Volume	74
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0301-4622(98)00165-3
Publication status	Published - 1998 Aug 4
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Information theory
Molecular orbital theory
Negentropy
Photoisomerization
Photoreception
Second law of thermodynamics

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Biophysics
Biochemistry
Organic Chemistry

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10.1016/S0301-4622(98)00165-3

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title = "The entropy generation in visual-pigment system by the absorption of light",

abstract = "We first showed a general theory that reception of information from the outside in a receptor system is accompanied both by an inflow of entropy and by a generation of entropy depending on the reliability of the actual reception mechanism. Then, considering a case for the absorption of light by the visual-pigment system of visual cell, we calculated the time(t)-dependent change in the number N2(t) of excited visual-pigments to obtain the entropy increase. We thus arrived at the following four conclusions: (1) One or two photons can be detected with a reliability of at least 54%; (2) In compensation for this detection, entropy > 1.12 x log2 is generated; (3) An incident photon of frequency v from a light source of temperature T(s) yields an entropy of hv/T(s); and (4) Depending on the characteristics of the visual-pigment system, another entropy being different from (2) is generated in proportion to N2(t).",

keywords = "Information theory, Molecular orbital theory, Negentropy, Photoisomerization, Photoreception, Second law of thermodynamics",

author = "Etsuro Ito and Toshiro Komatsu and Hideo Suzuki",

year = "1998",

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doi = "10.1016/S0301-4622(98)00165-3",

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T1 - The entropy generation in visual-pigment system by the absorption of light

AU - Ito, Etsuro

AU - Komatsu, Toshiro

AU - Suzuki, Hideo

PY - 1998/8/4

Y1 - 1998/8/4

N2 - We first showed a general theory that reception of information from the outside in a receptor system is accompanied both by an inflow of entropy and by a generation of entropy depending on the reliability of the actual reception mechanism. Then, considering a case for the absorption of light by the visual-pigment system of visual cell, we calculated the time(t)-dependent change in the number N2(t) of excited visual-pigments to obtain the entropy increase. We thus arrived at the following four conclusions: (1) One or two photons can be detected with a reliability of at least 54%; (2) In compensation for this detection, entropy > 1.12 x log2 is generated; (3) An incident photon of frequency v from a light source of temperature T(s) yields an entropy of hv/T(s); and (4) Depending on the characteristics of the visual-pigment system, another entropy being different from (2) is generated in proportion to N2(t).

AB - We first showed a general theory that reception of information from the outside in a receptor system is accompanied both by an inflow of entropy and by a generation of entropy depending on the reliability of the actual reception mechanism. Then, considering a case for the absorption of light by the visual-pigment system of visual cell, we calculated the time(t)-dependent change in the number N2(t) of excited visual-pigments to obtain the entropy increase. We thus arrived at the following four conclusions: (1) One or two photons can be detected with a reliability of at least 54%; (2) In compensation for this detection, entropy > 1.12 x log2 is generated; (3) An incident photon of frequency v from a light source of temperature T(s) yields an entropy of hv/T(s); and (4) Depending on the characteristics of the visual-pigment system, another entropy being different from (2) is generated in proportion to N2(t).

KW - Information theory

KW - Molecular orbital theory

KW - Negentropy

KW - Photoisomerization

KW - Photoreception

KW - Second law of thermodynamics

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The entropy generation in visual-pigment system by the absorption of light

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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