Fractals in Biology and MedicineTheo F. Nonnenmacher, Gabriele A. Losa, Ewald R. Weibel "Fractals in Biology and Medicine" explores the potential of fractal geometry for describing and understanding biological organisms, their development and growth as well as their structural design and functional properties. It extends these notions to assess changes associated with disease in the hope to contribute to the understanding of pathogenetic processes in medicine. The book is the first comprehensive presentation of the importance of the new concept of fractal geometry for biological and medical sciences. It collates in a logical sequence extended papers based on invited lectures and free communications presented at a symposium in Ascona, Switzerland, attended by leading scientists in this field, among them the originator of fractal geometry, Benoit Mandelbrot. "Fractals in Biology and Medicine" begins by asking how the theoretical construct of fractal geometry can be applied to biomedical sciences and then addresses the role of fractals in the design and morphogenesis of biological organisms as well as in molecular and cell biology. The consideration of fractal structure in understanding metabolic functions and pathological changes is a particularly promising avenue for future research. |
Contents
Spatial and Temporal Fractal Patterns in Cell and Molecular Biology | 22 |
Chaos Noise and Biological Data | 38 |
LongRange | 55 |
Fractal and NonFractal Growth of Biological Cell Systems | 86 |
Evolutionary Meaning Functions and Morphogenesis | 104 |
Multivariate Characterization of Blood Vessel Morphogenesis in | 132 |
Evolutionary Interplay Between Spontaneous Mutation | 160 |
Fractional Relaxation Equations for Protein Dynamics | 174 |
Organisms as Open Systems | 231 |
Scaling and Active Surface of Fractal Membranes | 251 |
Structure Formation in Excitable Media | 266 |
Estimation of the Correlation Dimension of AllNight | 283 |
Use of the Fractal Dimension to Characterize the Structure | 300 |
Fractal Dimension as a Characterisation Parameter of Premalignant | 315 |
Morphological Diagnosis Turns from Gestalt to Geometry | 331 |
Fluorescence Recovery after Photobleaching Studied | 351 |
Fractal Properties of Pericellular Membrane from | 190 |
A Fractal Analysis of Morphological Differentiation | 210 |
List of Speakers 373 | 372 |
Other editions - View all
Fractals in Biology and Medicine Theo F. Nonnenmacher,Gabriele A. Losa,Ewald R. Weibel No preview available - 1994 |
Fractals in Biology and Medicine Theo F. Nonnenmacher,Gabriele A. Losa,Ewald R. Weibel No preview available - 1994 |
Fractals in Biology and Medicine, Volume 1 T.F. Nonnenmacher,Gabriele A. Losa,Ewald R. Weibel No preview available - 1993 |
Common terms and phrases
acini acinus airways algorithm analysis approximation asymptotic behavior biological bleaching bone box counting branching pattern cancellous bone Cantor dust cell cellular Cellular automata colonies complex concentration constant contour correlation dimension corresponding curve defined dendritic density depends described diffusion distribution dynamics equation error estimated figure fractal dimension fractal geometry fractal membrane fractal structure fractional function glucose growth increasing irregular iteration lacunarity lattice length limits linear liver long-range correlations lung Mandelbrot mathematical measure method molecules morphogenesis morphological neurons nonlinear Nonnenmacher TF normal object obtained organisms parameters parastichy periodical lattice phyllotaxis Phys pixels plot points power-law prediction problem properties protein quantitative random region Sapoval scale invariant scaling self-affinity self-similar sequence Sernetz shape shows Sierpinski triangle sleep space spiral statistical stochastic tissue Ulam tree variability vessels volume Voronoi polygon Weibel yardstick