Dendroid morphology and growth patterns: 3-D computed tomographic reconstruction

A comprehensive blueprint of the structural divisions of dendrolite is presented, according to scale, being divided into micro-, meso-, macro-, and megastructures. The mesostructure, which includes individual dendroids and their combined structures, is subsequently divided into primary (V-dendroid), secondary (columnar and arborescent dendroid), and tertiary (stair and tier) structures and a basic growth model is provided for V-dendroids. The stages of V-dendroid growth are: 1) trunk extension and base expansion, 2) divergence, 3) expansion and convergence, followed by repetition of stages 2 and 3, until 4) growth completion, followed by the subsequent emergence of a new dendroid by either stacking or tiering. This development of systematically ordered structures is suggestive of the reaction of microbial colonies to external environmental conditions.