From venation of leaves to the blood and lymph vessels and tracheae of insects, 3D filamentous branching networks are a common pattern in all higher organisms.  These busy “highways” supply the tissue with nutrition and oxygen, expel waste and heat, as well as conduct immune reactions and other signal pathways. These microvascular networks are also essential for effective response of external stimuli in some sensitive plants, such as Venus flytrap and Mimosa pudica.