The fractal simulation of biological shapes

Abstract

This paper provides a light introduction to simple graphics techniques for visualizing a large class of biological shapes generated from recursive algorithms. In order to capture some of the structural richness inherent in organisms, the algorithms produce not only extreme variability but also a high level of organization. The material primarily comes from previous published works of the author. For a general background on fractal methods in mathematics and science, see Mandelbrot's famous book. For research on the fractal characterization of other biological structures, such as the lung's bronchial tree and the surfaces of protein molecules. © 1989, SPIE.