| Some of the most visually striking examples of natural fractals are
found in physiology, and the lungs are among the best of these. |
| Although no clear genetic, enzymic, or biophysical mechanism yet have been
shown to be responsible for their fractal structure, few doubt this. |
| Whatever its source, this fractal structure makes the lungs
more fault-tolerant during growth. |
| Here are two pictures of lung casts, one with the circulatory system
casts included. These pictures were provided by Dr. Ewald R. Weibel. Click
each picture for an enlarged version in a new window. |
|
| The fractal branching of the lungs is an efficient way to compress a large
surface area into a small volume. |
