{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,5]],"date-time":"2026-06-05T12:46:44Z","timestamp":1780663604075,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":67,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2014,9,10]],"date-time":"2014-09-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1410307200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Entropy"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This paper reviews the quantum electrodynamics theory of water put forward by Del Giudice and colleagues and how it may provide a useful foundation for a new science of water for life. The interaction of light with liquid water generates quantum coherent domains in which the water molecules oscillate between the ground state and an excited state close to the ionizing potential of water. This produces a plasma of almost free electrons favouring redox reactions, the basis of energy metabolism in living organisms. Coherent domains stabilized by surfaces, such as membranes and macromolecules, provide the excited interfacial water that enables photosynthesis to take place, on which most of life on Earth depends. Excited water is the source of superconducting protons for rapid intercommunication within the body that may be associated with the acupuncture meridians. Coherent domains can also trap electromagnetic frequencies from the environment to orchestrate and activate specific biochemical reactions through resonance, a mechanism for the most precise regulation of gene function.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/e16094874","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2014,9,11]],"date-time":"2014-09-11T02:22:24Z","timestamp":1410402144000},"page":"4874-4891","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":14,"title":["Illuminating Water and Life"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Mae-Wan","family":"Ho","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Science in Society, 29 Tytherton Road, London N19 4PZ, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2014,9,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"26","article-title":"Quantum coherent water & life","volume":"51","author":"Ho","year":"2011","journal-title":"Sci. Soc"},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"6","article-title":"Cooperative and coherent water","volume":"48","author":"Ho","year":"2010","journal-title":"Sci. Soc"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ho, M.W. (2008). The Rainbow and the Worm, the Physics of Organisms, World Scientific. [3rd ed].","DOI":"10.1142\/6928"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ho, M.W. (2012). Living Rainbow H2O, World Scientific Publishing Company.","DOI":"10.1142\/9789814390903"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.2495\/DNE-V9-N1-1-12","article-title":"Water is the means, medium, and message of life","volume":"9","author":"Ho","year":"2014","journal-title":"Des. Nat. Ecodyn"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1813","DOI":"10.1142\/S0217979295000744","article-title":"QED coherence and the thermodynamics of the water","volume":"9","author":"Arani","year":"1995","journal-title":"Int. J. Mod. Phys. B"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1085","DOI":"10.1103\/PhysRevLett.61.1085","article-title":"Water as a free electric dipole laser","volume":"61","author":"Preparata","year":"1988","journal-title":"Phys. Rev. Lett"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Del Giudice, E., and Vitiello, G. (2006). Role of the electromagnetic field in the formation of domains in the process of symmetry-breaking phase transition. Phys. Rev. A, 74.","DOI":"10.1103\/PhysRevA.74.022105"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Del Giudice, E. (2007). Old and new views on the structure of matter and the special case of living matter. J. Phys. Conf. Ser, 67.","DOI":"10.1088\/1742-6596\/67\/1\/012006"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"566","DOI":"10.3390\/w2030566","article-title":"Water dynamics at the root of metamorphosis in living organisms","volume":"2","author":"Spinetti","year":"2010","journal-title":"Water"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"510","DOI":"10.3390\/w4030510","article-title":"Emergence of coherent structure fo liquid water","volume":"4","author":"Bono","year":"2012","journal-title":"Water"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Szent-Gy\u00f6rgyi, A. (1960). Introduction to a Supramolecular Biology, Academic Press.","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-0-12-395612-5.50005-1"},{"key":"ref_13","first-page":"57","article-title":"Evidence of coherent dynamics in water droplets of waterfalls","volume":"5","author":"Madl","year":"2013","journal-title":"Water"},{"key":"ref_14","unstructured":"Pollack, G.H. (2013). The Fourth Phase of Water, Ebner & Sons Publishers."},{"key":"ref_15","first-page":"50","article-title":"Water forms massive exclusion zones","volume":"23","author":"Ho","year":"2004","journal-title":"Sci. Soc"},{"key":"ref_16","first-page":"36","article-title":"Liquid crystalline water at the interface, just add sunlight for energy and life","volume":"39","author":"Ho","year":"2008","journal-title":"Sci. Soc"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"511","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jcis.2009.01.010","article-title":"Effect of buffers on aqueous solute-exclusion zones around ion-exchange resins","volume":"332","author":"Zheng","year":"2009","journal-title":"J. Colloid Interface Sci"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"620","DOI":"10.1021\/jp111586p","article-title":"Spectral signatures of four-coordinated sites in water clusters: infrared spectroscopy of phenol-(H2O)n (~50 \u2265 n \u2265 ~20)","volume":"115","author":"Hamashima","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Phys. Chem"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"22","DOI":"10.1134\/S0033173207010031","article-title":"Theoretical estimation of the ionization potential of water in condensed phase. II. Superficial water layers","volume":"43","author":"Novakovskaya","year":"2007","journal-title":"Prot. Met"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"237","DOI":"10.1615\/ForumImmunDisTher.2013007847","article-title":"A soft matter state of water and the structures it forms","volume":"3","author":"Lo","year":"2012","journal-title":"Forum Immunopathol. Dis. Ther"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"909","DOI":"10.1142\/S0217984996001036","article-title":"Anomalous state of ice","volume":"10","author":"Lo","year":"1996","journal-title":"Mod. Phys. Lett. B"},{"key":"ref_22","unstructured":"Delderfield, R. (2009). Double-Helix Water, D and Y Publishing."},{"key":"ref_23","first-page":"1","article-title":"Large supramolecular water clusters caught on camera-A review","volume":"6","author":"Ho","year":"2014","journal-title":"Water"},{"key":"ref_24","first-page":"16","article-title":"Experimental evidence of stable aggregates of water at room temperature and normal pressure after iterative contact with a Nafion polymer membrane","volume":"5","author":"Elia","year":"2013","journal-title":"Water"},{"key":"ref_25","first-page":"121","article-title":"Experimental evidence of stable water nanostructures at standard pressure and temperature obtained by iterative filtration","volume":"5","author":"Elia","year":"2014","journal-title":"Water"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"937","DOI":"10.1007\/s10973-012-2576-z","article-title":"Physical-chemical study of water in contact with a hydrophilic polymer: Nafion","volume":"112","author":"Elia","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Therm. Anal. Calorim"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"196","DOI":"10.1134\/S0012501609100029","article-title":"Properties of supramolecular nanoassociates formed in aqueous solutions of biologically active compounds in low or ultra-low concentrations","volume":"428","author":"Ryzhkina","year":"2009","journal-title":"Dokl. Phys. Chem"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"201","DOI":"10.1134\/S0012501611100058","article-title":"Action of the external electromagnetic field is the condition of nanoassociate formation in highly diluted aqueous solutions","volume":"440","author":"Ryzhkina","year":"2011","journal-title":"Dokl. Phys. Chem"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"455","DOI":"10.4028\/www.scientific.net\/KEM.543.455","article-title":"Oxyhydroelectric effect in bi-distilled water","volume":"543","author":"Germano","year":"2013","journal-title":"Key Eng. Mater"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"251","DOI":"10.1142\/S0192415X98000294","article-title":"The acupuncture system and the liquid crystalline collagen fibers of the connective tissues","volume":"26","author":"Ho","year":"1998","journal-title":"Am. J. Chin. Med"},{"key":"ref_31","first-page":"47","article-title":"First sighting of structured water","volume":"28","author":"Ho","year":"2005","journal-title":"Sci. Soc"},{"key":"ref_32","first-page":"15","article-title":"Collagen water structure revealed","volume":"32","author":"Ho","year":"2006","journal-title":"Sci. Soc"},{"key":"ref_33","first-page":"48","article-title":"Superconducting quantum coherent water in nanospace confirmed","volume":"55","author":"Ho","year":"2012","journal-title":"Sci. Soc"},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2680","DOI":"10.1021\/ja01315a102","article-title":"the structure and entropy of ice and of other crystals with some randomness of atomic arrangement","volume":"57","author":"Pauling","year":"1935","journal-title":"J. Am. Chem. Soc"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"600","DOI":"10.1103\/PhysRevLett.82.600","article-title":"Covalency of the hydrogen bond in ice: A direct X-ray measurement","volume":"82","author":"Isaacs","year":"1999","journal-title":"Phys. Rev. Lett"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"587","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1073298","article-title":"Delocalization of protons in liquid water","volume":"297","author":"Bakker","year":"2002","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"247801","DOI":"10.1103\/PhysRevLett.97.247801","article-title":"Anomalous behaviour of proton zero point motion in water confined in carbon nanotubes","volume":"97","author":"Reiter","year":"2006","journal-title":"Phys. Rev. Lett"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Reiter, G.F., Kolesnikov, A.I., Paddison, S.J., Platzman, P.M., Moravsky, A.P., Adams, M.A., and Mayers, J. (2012). Evidence for an anomalous quantum state of protons in nanoconfined water. Phys. Rev. B, 85.","DOI":"10.1103\/PhysRevB.85.045403"},{"key":"ref_39","first-page":"48","article-title":"Science & art of water","volume":"58","author":"Ho","year":"2013","journal-title":"Sci. Soc"},{"key":"ref_40","first-page":"2","article-title":"Anaomalous ground state of the electrons in nanoconfined water","volume":"19","author":"Deb","year":"2014","journal-title":"SPring-8 Inf"},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8122","DOI":"10.1021\/ja071939o","article-title":"Proton transport and the water environment in Nafion fuel cell membranes and AOT reverse micelles","volume":"129","author":"Spry","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Am. Chem. Soc"},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"75","DOI":"10.1038\/nmat2074","article-title":"Parallel cylindrical water nanochannels in Nafion fuel-cell membranes","volume":"7","author":"Chen","year":"2008","journal-title":"Nat. Mater"},{"key":"ref_43","unstructured":"Available online: http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Electrical_resistivity_and_conductivity."},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3785","DOI":"10.1021\/nl102581w","article-title":"Super proton conductive high-purity Nation nanofibers","volume":"10","author":"Dong","year":"2010","journal-title":"Nano Lett"},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Dellago, C., Naor, M.M., and Hummer, G. (2003). Proton transport through water-filled carbon nanotubes. Phys. Rev. Letts, 90.","DOI":"10.1103\/PhysRevLett.90.105902"},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6344","DOI":"10.1039\/c3cp50218j","article-title":"Nature of proton transport in a water-filled carbon nanotube and in liquid water","volume":"15","author":"Chen","year":"2013","journal-title":"Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys"},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Choi, W., Ulissi, Z.W., Shimizu, S.F.E., Bellisario, D.O., Ellison, M.W., and Strano, M.S. (2013). Diameter-dependent ion transport through the interior of isolated single-walled carbon nanotubes. Nat. Commun, 4.","DOI":"10.1038\/ncomms3397"},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kyakuno, H., Matsuda, K., Yahiro, H., Inami, Y., Fukuoka, T., Miyata, Y., Yanagi, K., Maniwa, Y., Kataura, H., and Saito, T. (2011). Confined water inside single walled carbon nanotubes: Global phase diagram and effect of finite length. J. Chem. Phys, 134.","DOI":"10.1063\/1.3593064"},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2173","DOI":"10.1021\/nl200843g","article-title":"Measurement of the rate of water translocation through carbon nanotubes","volume":"11","author":"Qin","year":"2011","journal-title":"Nano Lett"},{"key":"ref_50","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2289","DOI":"10.1002\/bip.1973.360121008","article-title":"Electrical conduction in hydrated cCollalgen. I. Conductivity mechanisms","volume":"12","author":"Bardelmeyer","year":"1973","journal-title":"Biopolymers"},{"key":"ref_51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1725","DOI":"10.1002\/bip.360230908","article-title":"Dielectric properties of slightly hydrated collagen: Time-water content superposition analysis","volume":"23","author":"Sasaki","year":"1984","journal-title":"Biopolymers"},{"key":"ref_52","unstructured":"Available online: http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Second_harmonic_imaging_microscopy."},{"key":"ref_53","unstructured":"Available online: http:\/\/mmb.bme.wisc.edu\/personal%20research\/CarolynPehlke\/CarolynPehlke.htm?id=people."},{"key":"ref_54","unstructured":"Stoller, P.C., Reiser, K.M., Celliers, P.M., and Rubenchik, A.M. Effects of sStructural modification on second harmonic generation in collagen. Available online: https:\/\/e-reports-ext.llnl.gov\/pdf\/243951.pdf."},{"key":"ref_55","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1377","DOI":"10.1529\/biophysj.104.047308","article-title":"Interpreting second-harmonic generation images of collagen 1 fibrils","volume":"68","author":"Williams","year":"2005","journal-title":"Biophys. J"},{"key":"ref_56","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"221","DOI":"10.1615\/ForumImmunDisTher.2013007869","article-title":"Super-conducting liquid crystalline water aligned with collagen fibres in the fascia as acupuncture meridians of traditional Chinese Medicine","volume":"2","author":"Ho","year":"2012","journal-title":"Forum Immunopathol. Dis. Ther"},{"key":"ref_57","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2529","DOI":"10.1103\/PhysRev.130.2529","article-title":"The quantum theory of optical coherence","volume":"130","author":"Glauber","year":"1963","journal-title":"Phys. Rev"},{"key":"ref_58","unstructured":"Ho, M.W. (2014). Evolution by natural genetic engineering. Sci. Soc, 63, in press."},{"key":"ref_59","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/0022-5193(71)90033-6","article-title":"Chemical machines, Maxwell\u2019s demon and living organisms","volume":"30","author":"McClare","year":"1971","journal-title":"J. Theor. Biol"},{"key":"ref_60","first-page":"42","article-title":"The real bioinformatics revolution","volume":"33","author":"Ho","year":"2007","journal-title":"Sci. Soc"},{"key":"ref_61","unstructured":"Ho, M.W. (2013). Non-random directed mutations confirmed. Sci. Soc, 30\u201332."},{"key":"ref_62","first-page":"26","article-title":"The principle of minimal stimulus in the dynamics of the living organism","volume":"60","author":"Tosi","year":"2013","journal-title":"Sci. Soc"},{"key":"ref_63","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"736","DOI":"10.1209\/epl\/i1999-00452-6","article-title":"Intercellular communication during yeast cell growth","volume":"47","author":"Musumeci","year":"1999","journal-title":"Europhys. Lett"},{"key":"ref_64","first-page":"43","article-title":"Life is water electric","volume":"57","author":"Ho","year":"2013","journal-title":"Sci. Soc"},{"key":"ref_65","first-page":"24","article-title":"The story of phi (in six parts)","volume":"62","author":"Ho","year":"2014","journal-title":"Sci. Soc"},{"key":"ref_66","unstructured":"Available online: http:\/\/www.i-sis.org.uk\/coloursofwater\/."},{"key":"ref_67","first-page":"61","article-title":"The passionate soul of scientific reason","volume":"6","year":"2014","journal-title":"Water"}],"container-title":["Entropy"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1099-4300\/16\/9\/4874\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T21:15:46Z","timestamp":1760217346000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1099-4300\/16\/9\/4874"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2014,9,10]]},"references-count":67,"journal-issue":{"issue":"9","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2014,9]]}},"alternative-id":["e16094874"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/e16094874","relation":{},"ISSN":["1099-4300"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1099-4300","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2014,9,10]]}}}