Journal of Applied Physiology AJP: Endocrinology and Metabolism
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J Appl Physiol 96: 2194-2199, 2004; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00604.2003
8750-7587/04 $5.00
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Fractal branching pattern of the monopodial canine airway

Ping M. Wang1 and Steve S. Kraman2

1School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332; and 2Department 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).






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