Cellular Automata Plant

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  The initial seed

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  View of production of auxin, a major plant growth hormone

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  View of water pulled from the roots

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  View of glucose spreading from the leaves into the plant

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  Growing plant

What it does

It simulates a plant growing over time. Each cell of the plant is a cell in the cellular automata. Water flow from the ground and into and through the plant is simulated, as well as photosynthesis reactions in the leaves. Creating new cells costs water and glucose, so a successful plant will time the growth of different organs to grow the fastest.

What's next

The parameters of the growing plant aren't optimal. It generally grows a single leaf sideways on the ground like a vine. I believe if we used a genetic algorithm to tweak the parameters of the model it would better resemble typical plants found in nature.

Potential impact

This game can be used as a fun educational game for kids. They can simulate different parameters of the model and watch how the plant behaves as a result, learning core principles of evolutionary botany.

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