A STOCHASTIC APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT OF COLEOCHEATE

A stochastic tesselation model was constructed for the morphological pattern of the colonial alga Coleocheate. Instructions include rules for growth, cell division, cell differentiation and reproduction. These algorithms produce an acceptable facsimile of the morphology of the colony including minor fluctuations due to stochastic factors. No instructions were devised for self-reproduction, migration and physiological adjustment. It is concluded that a truly biological automaton should possess these capacities if it is to be representational otherwise the geometries are only novelties. The model includes feedback inhibition, diffusion processes, cell shape variation and stochastic decisions. The role of these factors is discussed along with what appears to be the biological correspondence to the features of the automaton. © 1969 Academic Press Inc. (London) Ltd.