Base sequences of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in an organism carry all the instructions regarding its growth
and development. On the surface, such sequences seem irregular; yet in reality, they are symbolic sequences with an
organized structure. This study investigates the characteristics of base arrangement and distribution in DNA
sequences from the fractal theory viewpoint. In addition to multifractal features demonstrated by the DNA
sequence, this study also compares the multifractal spectra derived from a particular family of gene among several
different species. The results reveal that a considerable correlation exists between base distribution and evolutionary
order. Furthermore, local scaling exponent (Ho¨ lder exponent) differences between coding segments (exon) and noncoding
segments (intron) are also examined. It is suggested that such differences in the local distribution of bases
can be applied to find coding segments within the DNA sequence that is to be translated into protein. This local
scaling analysis is feasible and has the potential to become an effective tool for rapid location of possible coding
sites in DNA sequences. The authors hope that future studies using more complicated bioinformatics methods for
analyzing DNA sequences can benefit from this study.
