Zebra's Stripes, Butterfly's Wings: How Do Biological Patterns Emerge?

Thursday, June 19, 2008 - 11:21 in Biology & Nature

A zebra's stripes, a seashell's spirals, a butterfly's wings: these are all examples of patterns in nature. The formation of patterns is a puzzle for mathematicians and biologists alike. How does the delicate design of a butterfly's wings come from a single fertilized egg? How does pattern emerge out of no pattern? Using computer models and live cells, researchers have discovered a specific pattern that can direct cell movement and may help us understand how metastatic cancer cells move.

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