An assessment of branching asymmetry of the tracheobronchial tree
Abstract The tracheobronchial tree is commonly seen to have a systematic branching symmetry, despite being known to have an asymmetrical design. Branching asymmetry allows for uniform airflow and provides robustness against the morphogenesis-related size variability. Here, a constructal approach is...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-14072-6 |
| _version_ | 1811343410552897536 |
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| author | Antonio F. Miguel |
| author_facet | Antonio F. Miguel |
| author_sort | Antonio F. Miguel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The tracheobronchial tree is commonly seen to have a systematic branching symmetry, despite being known to have an asymmetrical design. Branching asymmetry allows for uniform airflow and provides robustness against the morphogenesis-related size variability. Here, a constructal approach is used to tracheobronchial tree analysis, and a general model based on entropy generation during breathing process is provided, which holds with asymmetric characteristics of the tree, and the change for inhaling and exhaling air. In contrast to traditional models available in the literature, the entropy generation of inspiration and expiration processes is compared for symmetry and asymmetric designs. This approach unravels the fundamental consequences of asymmetric constraint in the process of breathing and provides justification for the tracheobronchial tree having the same number of bifurcation levels as optimized symmetrical trees. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T19:28:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5d7667a0233e440d926856d2e8757e49 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T19:28:57Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-5d7667a0233e440d926856d2e8757e492022-12-22T02:33:14ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-06-011211510.1038/s41598-022-14072-6An assessment of branching asymmetry of the tracheobronchial treeAntonio F. Miguel0Institute of Earth Sciences and Department of Physics, School of Science and Technology, University of EvoraAbstract The tracheobronchial tree is commonly seen to have a systematic branching symmetry, despite being known to have an asymmetrical design. Branching asymmetry allows for uniform airflow and provides robustness against the morphogenesis-related size variability. Here, a constructal approach is used to tracheobronchial tree analysis, and a general model based on entropy generation during breathing process is provided, which holds with asymmetric characteristics of the tree, and the change for inhaling and exhaling air. In contrast to traditional models available in the literature, the entropy generation of inspiration and expiration processes is compared for symmetry and asymmetric designs. This approach unravels the fundamental consequences of asymmetric constraint in the process of breathing and provides justification for the tracheobronchial tree having the same number of bifurcation levels as optimized symmetrical trees.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-14072-6 |
| spellingShingle | Antonio F. Miguel An assessment of branching asymmetry of the tracheobronchial tree Scientific Reports |
| title | An assessment of branching asymmetry of the tracheobronchial tree |
| title_full | An assessment of branching asymmetry of the tracheobronchial tree |
| title_fullStr | An assessment of branching asymmetry of the tracheobronchial tree |
| title_full_unstemmed | An assessment of branching asymmetry of the tracheobronchial tree |
| title_short | An assessment of branching asymmetry of the tracheobronchial tree |
| title_sort | assessment of branching asymmetry of the tracheobronchial tree |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-14072-6 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT antoniofmiguel anassessmentofbranchingasymmetryofthetracheobronchialtree AT antoniofmiguel assessmentofbranchingasymmetryofthetracheobronchialtree |