Thus, self-similarity in plants is a result of developmental processes. Growth and form By emphasizing the relationship between growth and form, this book follows a long tradition in biology. D’Arcy Thompson [143] traces its origins to the late seventeenth century, and comments: Organic form itself is found, mathematically speaking, to be a function of time.... We might call the form of an organism
an event in space-time, and not merely a configuration in
space.
Growth is driven by hormone flow in cells and organs. It doesn't have to distribute equally. And, it's intensity and duration affects rate and extent of growth. Cells have primitive clocks. (Rhythms) - so there is a cyclical, flow, time and distance function. Plus gravity. Some hormones inhibit growth. Some encourage. Some intensify expression under light, some inhibit. Some head down. Some head up.
Rapid growth vs slow growth. Directional growth vs directionless. Stages of growth are different, time has consequences. If you only consider space you ignore the consequences of time. Think about abcission cells, how plants shed leaves, fruit, how horns can fall off.
(This is from memory of 40 year old biology lessons at uni)
How could you have time without space? They're kind of equivalent in my conceptual model. I think of both time and space as a sine wave. The way you expressed it actually matches that for me. Thanks for sharing!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Growth_and_Form (1917)
in the pdf:
Thus, self-similarity in plants is a result of developmental processes. Growth and form By emphasizing the relationship between growth and form, this book follows a long tradition in biology. D’Arcy Thompson [143] traces its origins to the late seventeenth century, and comments: Organic form itself is found, mathematically speaking, to be a function of time.... We might call the form of an organism an event in space-time, and not merely a configuration in space.