Cellular automata: retinal cells, circulation and patterns

Cellular automata modelling is a useful mathematical technique for simulating complex biological systems. An area to be studied is broken into a lattice of adjacent cells depicted by picture elements on a computer screen. The initial tissue pattern evolves on the computer screen, directed by a rule that considers the state of each cell and its neighbours in the lattice. Simulations of wound repair, cell proliferation, retinal circulation and pigment aggregation serve to illustrate the potential value of cellular automata modelling in ophthalmic research and practice.