How chemical interactions create the complex patterns of life
Explore the mathematical foundations of biological design. This lecture examines how interacting chemicals, known as morphogens, diffuse and react to spontaneously generate intricate structures across various biological domains.
In this lecture, Ruth Baker explores reaction-diffusion models, a framework pioneered by Alan Turing to describe the mechanics of pattern formation. The models rely on the interaction of two or more chemicals that move through space and react with one another.
The session focuses on the analytical methods used to identify the specific conditions necessary for patterns to emerge. It also investigates how the size and shape of different domains influence the resulting biological patterns.
Source: Mathematical Biology: Pattern formation in biology, lecture 1 - Oxford Mathematics 3rd Yr Lecture
