Fractals in Medical Research
 

 

  • Viruses and Bacteria have fractal receptor molecules. The deterministic rules of fractal geometry enables researchers to understand how specific viruses and bacteria react in the human body. 2

  • Twenty years into the AIDS pandemic, a vaccine remains elusive. Three million people died from the disease in 2001 and an estimated 40 million people on the planet are infected with HIV. 3 AIDS is unusual in that is has an extremely long incubation period. When the virus attacks, it behaves chaotically, significantly changing the fractal structure of the immune system. Understanding the fractal behavior of the AIDS virus may be key in producing a vaccine.2

  • Scientists are using Qualitative and quantitative comparison of simulated cancer growth patterns to analyze the morphology and functional properties of cancer. 4The convoluted structure of cancer cells display fractal properties. Computers can model the fractal structure of cells, and predict when cells are becoming cancerous. 2

     

     

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
                                                                                                              
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    References:

    (1)CNN
    (2)Lesmoir-Gordon, Rood & Edney (2000). Fractal Geometry. McPherson's Printing Group, Victoria.
    (3)Computer models and cancer research. (4)Computer Aided Colony Counting