The Beauty of Numbers – 4
- POSTED ON: 3 Nov, 2017
- TOTAL VIEWS: 1555 Views
- POSTED BY: Chari Vijayaraghavan
- ARTICLE POINTS: 100 Points
One of the amazing aspects in nature is the presence of the spiral. There are various forms and patterns in which these spirals appear. These patterns include the golden ratio and the fibonacci series as well. In the following examples, move the slider from right to left to observe these spirals.
One of the reasons why plant spirals can be seen is ‘phyllotaxis’ – the arrangement of leaves on a stem. Here’s one in an aloe plant.
Spirals can also be seen in flower heads and seed heads like the sunflower, or fruits like the pineapple, as well as in the scales of pine cones, where multiple spirals are present both clockwise and anticlockwise.
In animals like the Bighorn sheep, the spiral increasingly becomes thicker.
From sea shells to molluscs, you might observe them following a logarithmic pattern.
All these spirals have explanations due to a combination of maths, physics, chemistry and biology – all contributing to their creation (which you might study once you grow older), but till then, observe and appreciate the patterns!