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Photosynthesis, Key to Life on Earth, Starts with a Single Photon

Using a complex cast of metal-studded pigments, proteins, enzymes, and co-enzymes, photosynthetic organisms can convert the energy in light into the chemical energy for life. And now, thanks to a study published today in Nature, we know that this organic chemical reaction is sensitive to the smallest quantity of light possible – a single photon. The discovery will help answer questions about how life works on the smallest of scales, where quantum physics and biology meet.