Fractals in Biology and Medicine III

This volume highlights the growing power and efficacy of the fractal geometry in understanding how to analyze living phenomena and complex shapes. In March 2000 leading scientists gathered at the Centro Seminariale Monte Verita, Ascona, Switzerland, for the Third International Symposium on "Fractals 2000 in Biology and Medicine". This interdisciplinary conference was held over a four-day period and provided stimulating contributions from the very topical field Fractals in Biology and Medicine. This Volume III in the MBI series highlights the growing power and efficacy of the fractal geometry in understanding how to analyze living phenomena and complex shapes. Many biological objects, previously considered as hopelessly far from any quantitative description, are now being investigated by means of fractal methods. Researchers currently used fractals both as theoretical tools, to shed light on living systems' self-organization and evolution, and as useful techniques, capable of quantitatively analyzing physiological and pathological cell states, shapes and ultrastructures. The book should be of interest to researchers and students from Molecular and Cell Biology, Biomedicine, Bio-Mathematics, Analytical Morphology, Immunology and Neurology, interested in the combination of mathematics and life sciences.