Fractal branching pattern of the monopodial canine airway

• Published in: Journal of applied physiology (1985) 2004-06, Vol.96 (6), p.2194-2199
• Main Authors: Wang, Ping M, Kraman, Steve S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air breathing; Anatomy & physiology; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Dogs; Dogs - anatomy & histology; Fractals; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Lung - anatomy & histology; Models, Anatomic; Respiratory system; Respiratory System - anatomy & histology; Respiratory system: anatomy, metabolism, gas exchange, ventilatory mechanics, respiratory hemodynamics; Silicones; Vertebrates: respiratory system
• ISSN: 8750-7587; 1522-1601
• DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00604.2003

1 School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332; and 2 Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky 40536 Submitted 12 June 2003 ; accepted in final form 7 February 2004 Unlike the human lung, monopodial canine airway branching follows an irregular dichotomized pattern with fractal features. We studied three canine airway molds and found a self-similarity feature from macro- to microscopic scales, which formed a fractal set up to seven scales in the airways. At each fractal scale, lateral branches evenly lined up along an approximately straight main trunk to form three to four two-dimensional structures, and each lateral branch was the monopodial main trunk of the next fractal scale. We defined this pattern as the fractal main lateral-branching pattern, which exhibited similar structures from macro- to microscopic scales, including lobes, sublobes, sub-sublobes, etc. We speculate that it, rather than a mother-daughter pattern, could better describe the actual asymmetrical architecture of the monopodial canine airway. canine airway anatomy; lung anatomy; airway branching; monopodial branching system; fractal main lateral-branching pattern Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: P. M. Wang, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332 (E-mail: ping.wang{at}che.gatech.edu ).