title: Emergence, self-organization and morphogenesis in biological structures.
abstract: The paper discusses the connection between emergence, pattern formation and nonlinear dynamics, focusing on the similarity between discrete patterns and fractal structures, and then describes different solutions to model reaction-diffusion systems as representative processes in morphogenesis. A specific example is the diffusion limited aggregation growth process, illustrated by the simulation of the evolution of a bacterial colony that shows the roles of instability and sensitivity in non-equilibrium pattern formation. Based on this particular case, it is shown how self-organization could be achieved from non-organized agglomeration of separate entities, in a region of space. We conclude with some brief remarks about universality, predictability and long-term prospects for this field of research.
authors.affiliation: Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dobrescu
authors.forename: V I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Purcarea
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development; D004058:Diffusion; D017709:Fractals; D008954:Models, Biological; D009024:Morphogenesis; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics