dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaSpatial embedding of neuronal trees modeled by diffusive growth
| Authors | Artur Luczak |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | q-bio/0605021 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0605021 |
Abstract
The relative importance of the intrinsic and extrinsic factors determining the variety of geometric shapes exhibited by dendritic trees remains unclear. This question was addressed by developing a model of the growth of dendritic trees based on diffusion-limited aggregation process. The model reproduces diverse neuronal shapes (i.e., granule cells, Purkinje cells, the basal and apical dendrites of pyramidal cells, and the axonal trees of interneurons) by changing only the size of the growth area, the time span of pruning, and the spatial concentration of 'neurotrophic particles'. Moreover, the presented model shows how competition between neurons can affect the shape of the dendritic trees. The model reveals that the creation of complex (but reproducible) dendrite-like trees does not require precise guidance or an intrinsic plan of the dendrite geometry. Instead, basic environmental factors and the simple rules of diffusive growth adequately account for the spatial embedding of different types of dendrites observed in the cortex. An example demonstrating the broad applicability of the algorithm to model diverse types of tree structures is also presented. Key words: Diffusion-limited aggregation; Neuronal morphology; Dendrites; Growth model; tree; dendritic geometry.
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"date_created": "2026-03-02T18:01:34.890000Z",
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"abstract": "The relative importance of the intrinsic and extrinsic factors determining\nthe variety of geometric shapes exhibited by dendritic trees remains unclear.\nThis question was addressed by developing a model of the growth of dendritic\ntrees based on diffusion-limited aggregation process. The model reproduces\ndiverse neuronal shapes (i.e., granule cells, Purkinje cells, the basal and\napical dendrites of pyramidal cells, and the axonal trees of interneurons) by\nchanging only the size of the growth area, the time span of pruning, and the\nspatial concentration of \u0027neurotrophic particles\u0027. Moreover, the presented\nmodel shows how competition between neurons can affect the shape of the\ndendritic trees. The model reveals that the creation of complex (but\nreproducible) dendrite-like trees does not require precise guidance or an\nintrinsic plan of the dendrite geometry. Instead, basic environmental factors\nand the simple rules of diffusive growth adequately account for the spatial\nembedding of different types of dendrites observed in the cortex. An example\ndemonstrating the broad applicability of the algorithm to model diverse types\nof tree structures is also presented. Key words: Diffusion-limited aggregation;\nNeuronal morphology; Dendrites; Growth model; tree; dendritic geometry.",
"arxiv_id": "q-bio/0605021",
"authors": [
"Artur Luczak"
],
"categories": [
"q-bio.NC",
"q-bio.QM"
],
"title": "Spatial embedding of neuronal trees modeled by diffusive growth",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0605021"
},
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