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Reaction Diffusion Simulator

  • Page ID
    21101
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    Reaction Diffusion Simulator

    Note: If possible this is ideally run in a computer lab or with loaner laptops. Otherwise, ask students ahead of time to bring in at least one laptop per group. Students can follow the questions below or can be given minimal instructions and just "play" with the simulation.

    In the Turing Model, the pattern is changed by adjusting the speed of diffusion, the strength of interaction, and the rate of degradation. In the Grey-Scott model simulation, the feed rate is related to the speed of diffusion and the death rate is related to the rate of degredation.

    1. To see the a "boring" pattern, choose a feed rate of 0.006 and a death rate of 0.028. Click anywhere on the canvas.
    2. Choose the present "Solitons" and click anywhere on the canvas. This feed/death rate combination produces a field of equally spaced spots. How does this relate to the Turing model?
    3. Adjust the feed rate to 0.02 and the death rate to 0.058, how does this affect the spot pattern you saw in Solitons?
    4. Can you adjust the feed and death rates to produce stripes?
    5. What happens if you click on the canvas while a pattern is being generated. What would this represent biologically?
    6. What kinds of biochemical/molecular properties might affect feed and death rates?

    This page titled Reaction Diffusion Simulator is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Ajna Rivera.

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