Fractal Analysis of Multiscale Biological Systems

Fractal geometry provides a novel mathematical description that fits the chaotic nature of different phenomena. It was demonstrated widely that the benefits of the unique properties of fractal analysis are limitless. the concept of fractal dimension provided a perfect treatment of data on the architecture or dynamics of a certain system. This work aims to review the results of using this concept in analyzing different biological systems known for varying levels of complexity, beginning with analyzing architectures such as chromatin, cell membrane, cytoskeleton, and tissue arrangement, to the behavior of gene expression and brain activity, and then studying branching networks such as the blood, lymphatic, and neural networks. The results show that the use of fractal analysis represents a powerful tool in determining a unique signature for the system state, and whether it is healthy or diseased, in addition to distinguishing the type of disease and the possibility of using fractal modifications for therapeutic interventions, which makes fractal analysis a revolutionary tool.