ABSTRACT
In this paper, we present a programming language viewpoint for morphogenesis, the process of shape formation during embryological development. Specifically, we model morphogenesis as a self-organizing, self-repairing amorphous computation and describe a framework through which we can program large-scale shape formation by giving local instructions to cell-like objects. Then, using this programmatic perspective, we specify some example developmental processes and discuss the characteristics that make them suitable candidates for evolutionary variation and selection. Consistent with the theory of facilitated variation from evolutionary biology, we find that variation in developmental processes can be introduced and conserved due to the hierarchical organization of growth specification.
- H. Abelson, D. Allen, D. Coore, C. Hanson, G. Homsy, T. Knight, R. Nagpal, E. Rauch, G. Sussman, and R. Weiss. Amorphous computing. Communications of the ACM, 43, May 2000. Google ScholarDigital Library
- J. Bard. Morphogenesis. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 1992.Google Scholar
- L. Clement and R. Nagpal. Self-assembly and self-repairing topologies. Workshop on Adaptability in Multi-Agent Systems, RoboCup Australian Open, 2003.Google Scholar
- D. Coore. Botanical Computing: A Developmental Approach to Generating Interconnect Topologies on an Amorphous Computer. PhD thesis, MIT, February 1999. Google ScholarDigital Library
- J. Y. Halpern and Y. Moses. Knowledge and common knowledge in a distributed environment. Journal of the ACM, 37(3):549--587, 1990. Google ScholarDigital Library
- M. W. Kirschner and J. C. Gerhart. The Plausibility of Life. Yale University Press, 2005.Google Scholar
- A. Kondacs. Biologically-inspired self-assembly of two-dimensional shapes using global-to-local compilation. International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, 2003. Google ScholarDigital Library
- C. Nüsslein-Volhard Gradients that organize embryo development. Scientific American, August 1996.Google Scholar
- I. Salazar-Ciudad, J. Jernvall, and S. A. Newman. Mechanisms of pattern formation in development and evolution. Development, 130:2027--2037, 2003.Google ScholarCross Ref
- J. Slack. From egg to embryo. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 1991.Google ScholarCross Ref
Index Terms
- Morphogenesis as an amorphous computation
Recommendations
Partial redundancy and morphological homeostasis: Reliable development through overlapping mechanisms
How might organisms grow into their desired physical forms in spite of environmental and genetic variation? How do they maintain this form in spite of physical insults? This article presents a case study in simulated morphogenesis, using a physics-based ...
Low temperature crystallization of amorphous silicon by gold nanoparticle
Gold nanoparticle production.Deposition of amorphous silicon by e-beam evaporation method.Annealing of amorphous silicon for crystallization by gold nanoparticles. Single crystalline Si thin film fabricated on glass substrate by a process called Solid ...
Investigation of bulk defects in amorphous and crystalline HfO2 thin films
We report an optical spectroscopy approach for the investigation of bulk defects in amorphous and polycrystalline HfO"2 formed by electron beam evaporation (e-beam) and Plasma Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition (PEALD). Consistent with previous published ...
Comments