How does fibonacci sequence work in nature

Most pineapples have either five, eight, thirteen or twenty-one spirals; these are also Fibonacci numbers. Similarly, consider the arrangement of seeds in the center of a sunflower. If you count the spirals present, once again, it is a number present in the Fibonacci sequence.

If you categorize these spirals into those pointed left and right, you will get two consecutive Fibonacci numbers. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the Fibonacci numbers are not observed everywhere. You can find just as many plants and animals that do not show Fibonacci numbers. The presence of a series of numbers in an object, does not necessarily mean that the figures and object are linked.

Nature is not an entity that consciously follows mathematics flowers are not the smartest. Instead, it is mathematics that follows nature. In the case of the sunflower head, and many other species, their arrangement represents the ideal packing of the seeds; there is no crowding in the center and no scarcity on the edges of the head. Similarly, by having a certain number of petals at a certain angle to each other, the flower ensures that each leaf receives an abundant amount of sunlight.

It reflects the conclusion of evolution over millions of years, that for a particular species, this is the optimal arrangement of things.

The Fibonacci sequence is just one simple example of the resilient and persevering quality of nature. As we continue to scourge for mathematical patterns in our natural world, our understanding of our universe expands, and the beauty of nature becomes clearer to our human eyes.

Your email address will not be published. Post comment Loading. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The sequence is found by adding the previous two numbers of the sequence together. It looks like this: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34… And on it goes. This pattern can also be seen as:. The Fibonacci Sequence is found all throughout nature, too.

It is a naturally occurring pattern. Here are some examples of Fibonacci in nature…. Although we all usually see trees everywhere in our day to day life, how often have you looked for the patterns in them? In trees, the Fibonacci begins in the growth of the trunk and then spirals outward as the tree gets larger and taller.

We also see the golden ratio in their branches as they start off with one trunk which splits into 2, then one of the new branches stems into 2, and this pattern continues.

Your eye of the storm is like the 0 or 1 in the Fibonacci sequence, as you go on in the counter-clockwise spiral you find it increasing at a consistent pattern.

This pattern is much like the Golden Ratio. But is a hurricane actually a Fibonacci spiral?? This pattern continues, following the Fibonacci numbers. Additionally, if you count the number of petals on a flower, you'll often find the total to be one of the numbers in the Fibonacci sequence. For example, lilies and irises have three petals, buttercups and wild roses have five, delphiniums have eight petals and so on. Honeybees: A honeybee colony consists of a queen, a few drones and lots of workers.

The female bees queens and workers all have two parents, a drone and a queen. Drones, on the other hand, hatch from unfertilized eggs. This means they have only one parent.

Therefore, Fibonacci numbers express a drone's family tree in that he has one parent, two grandparents, three great-grandparents and so forth [source: Knott ]. Storms : Storm systems like hurricanes and tornados often follow the Fibonacci sequence. Next time you see a hurricane spiraling on the weather radar, check out the unmistakable Fibonacci proportions of the spiral of clouds on the screen.

The human body: Take a good look at yourself in the mirror. You'll notice that most of your body parts follow the numbers one, two, three and five. You have one nose, two eyes , three segments to each limb and five fingers on each hand. The proportions and measurements of the human body can also be divided up in terms of the golden ratio. DNA molecules follow this sequence , measuring 34 angstroms long and 21 angstroms wide for each full cycle of the double helix.

Why do so many natural patterns reflect the Fibonacci sequence? Scientists have pondered the question for centuries. In some cases, the correlation may just be coincidence. In other situations, the ratio exists because that particular growth pattern evolved as the most effective. So, just like we naturally get seven arms when we use 0. Try counting the spiral arms - the "left turning" spirals, and then the "right turning" spirals So that new leaves don't block the sun from older leaves, or so that the maximum amount of rain or dew gets directed down to the roots.

In fact, when a plant has spirals the rotation tends to be a fraction made with two successive one after the other Fibonacci Numbers, for example:. And that is why Fibonacci Numbers are very common in plants. Here is a daisy with 21 petals but expect a few more or less, because some may have dropped off or be just growing. So, next time you are walking in the garden, look for the Golden Angle, and count petals and leaves to find Fibonacci Numbers, and discover how clever the plants are