A Method to Categorize 2-Dimensional Patterns Using Statistics of Spatial Organization

Evol Bioinform Online. 2017 Mar 10:13:1176934317697978. doi: 10.1177/1176934317697978. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

We developed a measurement framework of spatial organization to categorize 2-dimensional patterns from 2 multiscalar biological architectures. We propose that underlying shapes of biological entities can be approached using the statistical concept of degrees of freedom, defining it through expansion of area variability in a pattern. To help scope this suggestion, we developed a mathematical argument recognizing the deep foundations of area variability in a polygonal pattern (spatial heterogeneity). This measure uses a parameter called eutacticity. Our measuring platform of spatial heterogeneity can assign particular ranges of distribution of spatial areas for 2 biological architectures: ecological patterns of Namibia fairy circles and epithelial sheets. The spatial organizations of our 2 analyzed biological architectures are demarcated by being in a particular position among spatial order and disorder. We suggest that this theoretical platform can give us some insights about the nature of shapes in biological systems to understand organizational constraints.

Keywords: Namibia fairy circles; Spatial organization; epithelial topology; pattern; shape.