Dendritic design as an archetype for growth patterns in nature: fractal and constructal views

*Correspondence: Antonio F. Miguel, Department of Physics, School of Sciences and Technology, University of Évora, Rua Romao Ramalho 59, 7000-671 Évora, Portugal e-mail: [email protected] The occurrence of configuration (design, shape, structure, rhythm) is a universal phenomenon that occurs in every flow system. Dendritic configuration (or tree-shaped configurations) is ubiquitous in nature and likely to arise in both animate and inanimate flow systems (e.g., lungs and river basins). Why is it so important? Is there a principle from which this configuration can be deduced? In this review paper, we show that these systems own two of the most important properties of fractals that are self-similarity and scaling. Their configuration do not develop by chance. It’s occurrence is a universal phenomenon of physics covered by a principle. Here we also show that the emergence of dendritic configuration in flow systems constitutes a basic supportive flow path along which “order” need to persist is propagated.