VASCULAR NETWORKS: FRACTAL ANATOMIES FROM NON-LINEAR PHYSIOLOGIES

Why certain biostructures are fractal is explained using a model of vascular embryogenesis. Deterministic non-linear growth creates self- similarity. Fractal scaling relationships arise because vascular and host tissue growth are coupled, and each is exponential in time. This origin of a fractal anatomy from a non-linear growth physiology can be generalized to other biofractals.