Biophysics versus biochemistry

Biochemistry is the science of the chemical processes in living organisms. The chemical reactions associated with a biological phenomenon are investigated down to the level of the individual atoms in the molecules. By understanding the phenomena on this smallest possible level a complete understanding of the processes of life on a higher level, e.g. the cells, organs or even whole organisms, is expected. Biochemistry has, more or less, gained a monopoly position in biological and medical research through pharmacy which was developed therefrom. In general public the idea prevails that biochemistry is the scientific fundamental research for understanding life and that pharmacy translates the results acquired thereby into medical practice.

In the cells of living organisms in fact a vast variety of chemical – i.e. biochemical – reactions takes place, e.g. the entire digestion. In the beginning, the cell was substantially regarded as a bag filled with water in which the dissolved substances performed the required reactions. The reacting partners would then meet due to the temperature-related arbitrary thermal motion. The process of this kind of motion is also known as diffusion; the encounter of the correct reaction partners is accidental here.

Research has now, in the recent decades, increasingly shown that this image is, on the whole, incorrect. In many cases the actions within the cell are much more goal-oriented than might be expected from diffusion alone. Examples are the passing-on of electrons by means of the complexes of the respiratory chain in the mitochondria or the function of the so-called motor proteins which precisely repeat specific movement patterns in a high clock frequency and thereby rather resemble technical motors than chemical molecules. Of course diffusion also still takes place. Owing to physico-chemical principles it cannot be avoided and also has its function, however, it is not primarily decisive for the survival of the cell.

It becomes more and more obvious that a lot more coordination and cooperation takes place in the cells than could be explained only by diffusion. Already decades ago the renowned Prof. Lehninger has written the following in his textbook of biochemistry:

We are still far from being capable of explaining why chymotrypsin is a catalyst that is more than 1,000,000,000 times more effective than it could ever be proven in an organic model.

And about ten years ago Amsterdam University published the following on its Website:

While we already know a lot about genes and proteins, the following question is still completely open: How do genes, proteins and other molecules cooperate to make the cell function? The answer cannot be found in the knowledge of the individual components. On the contrary, cellular know-how only results from the cooperation of many components.

Now, which mechanism could render such cooperation possible? The best candidate here seems to be the electromagnetic field. First, we know from our present-day technological developments that gigantic data volumes can be rapidly transferred by infinitesimal electromagnetic signals (fibre optic cables, WLAN, Bluetooth, etc.). Maybe nature makes use of this potential of electromagnetic waves in an even more efficient way in our cells. Secondly, we know that electromagnetic waves in biology are no flight of fancy; on the contrary, the known brain waves are electromagnetic waves. Notwithstanding the fact that we learned to interpret them we still do not know precisely how they are formed and what their function is. At least, however, it is clear that larger cell areas in the brain cooperate and coordinate with the aid of the electromagnetic brainwaves.

These facts and developments resulted in an increasing reorientation of cell research from biochemistry to biophysics. Globally many research teams are concerned with, e.g. the interaction between electromagnetic fields and cells or whole organisms. In the USA, an initiative to more thoroughly examine the physical aspects in cancer research was started by the National Cancer Institute in 2010. To this end presently research teams instructed to address precisely these aspects are subsidised in twelve centres (so called Physical Sciences-Oncology Centers).

In consequence of these developments it is only logical that new concepts like VitalfeldTechnologie and their treatment forms emerge which turn towards a biophysical approach. From a scientific point of view such concepts have an at least equivalent justification as compared to the conventional biochemical concepts.