[Electron tunneling between photoinduced paramagnetic centers in melanin]

Decay of paramagnetic centres (PC) in irradiated melanin pigment of Cladosporium transchelii K-1 is shown to obey the linear plot of PC concentration vs. logarithm of time. Temperature dependence of decay rate is investigated. The data obtained allow one propose the long-range tunneling of electrons from thermally excited electronic states of anionradical sites in melanin. The photoinduced and thermal processes of electron transfer in melanin are reversible.