The Start of Photosynthesis: One Photon.

A study published in Nature shows that photosynthesis, the process by which plants and other organisms convert light into energy, can be initiated by a single photon. The discovery confirms a long-held assumption about the process and will help scientists better understand how life works on the smallest scales, where quantum physics and biology intersect. The study used advanced technologies from quantum optics and biology to observe individual photons and their interactions with light-absorbing molecular structures in photosynthetic bacteria. The team is confident that photosynthesis in plants and algae works the same way.