1. Branching In Nature

2. BRANCHING! Balance of forces Indicates flow of energy and/or materials Efficient distribution and collection in biological systems: roots, leaves, twigs, branches, bronchi, nervous system, circulatory system, hyphae

3. Branching patterns in nature are the result of a balance of forces. Branching patterns are an efficient way to distribute materials and energy

4. Distribution of Energy and materials!

5. Arial photograph of the Colorado River delta

6. At first glance, this image may look like a pattern of branching blood vessels. This is actually an image that was taken about 700 km from Earth’s surface of the Mississippi Delta-- where the water from the Mississippi river flows into the Gulf of Mexico

7. The underside of a sand dollar shows a branching pattern

8. Photo of a river in Baja California from space

9. Antarctic Basket Star

10. Flow of Energy---High Voltage Dielectric Lichtenberg Figure and Optic Neurons in a Blowfly

11. Microscopic view of a mycelium which is the part of a fungus (mold) that absorbs nutrients from other living or dead organisms. This image covers a one-millimeter square

12. Coral polyps and a snowflake

13. Trees are fractal in nature– repeating patterns over and over

16. False-colour (computer graphics) photograph of a resin cast of the human bronchial tree, the network of airways serving both lungs. The trunk of the tree is the trachea (windpipe, top centre), which branches into the left and right bronchi. Further divisions occur, with the smallest branches, the bronchioles, terminating in alveoli (air sacs), where gaseous exchange with the blood circulation takes place.

17. CD in microwave for 5 seconds– don’t do this at home!

18. Wing veination of a butterfly (left) and fly (right)– insects (especially flies) are identified by their particular wing vein branching – this also suggests evolution– flies have a common venation scheme--- individuals species are recognized by their slight variation on that scheme

19. Venation Branching Patters Are Evidence of Evolution Fore wing of Lithopanorpa pusilla Photograph of (fossil) wing of Lithopanorpa pusilla

20. Another example of branching venation patterns as evidence of evolution Fore (?) wing of Agetopanorpa maculata Photograph of (fossil) wing of Agetopanorpa maculata