Botanist Anatoly I. Mikhaltsov of the Children's Ecological and Biological Center in Omsk, Russia, was studying the anatomy of Aloe erinacea , an endangered species of aloe endemic to Namibia, when he captured this image of the plant's aloin cells ( blue )—which secrete a component of the gel-like sap that oozes from an aloe's severed leaf—using a coloring method that he developed....[More]
ALOIN CELLS:
Botanist Anatoly I. Mikhaltsov of the Children's Ecological and Biological Center in Omsk, Russia, was studying the anatomy of Aloe erinacea, an endangered species of aloe endemic to Namibia, when he captured this image of the plant's aloin cells (blue)—which secrete a component of the gel-like sap that oozes from an aloe's severed leaf—using a coloring method that he developed. The cluster of aloin cells is 300 microns wide.
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Anatoly I. Mikhaltsov/Children's Ecological and Biological Center
RETINAL ASTROCYTES:
A tapestry of cells in a mouse retina reveals a network of spidery astrocytes ( black ) that balances the amounts of ions and water in the space around neurons ( orange ) and their axons ( green )....[More]
RETINAL ASTROCYTES:
A tapestry of cells in a mouse retina reveals a network of spidery astrocytes (black) that balances the amounts of ions and water in the space around neurons (orange) and their axons (green). The arms of the astrocytes wrap around blood vessels, which appear as vertical black “roads,” creating a physical and chemical barrier that determines which molecules reach the neurons. Neurobiologist Alejandra Bosco of the University of Utah produced this image of the retina, which was 0.1 millimeter by five millimeters when flattened, as part of her research on the role of astrocytes in diseases such as glaucoma.
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Alejandra Bosco/University of Utah
DIATOM REPRODUCTION:
The marine diatom Rhizosolenia setigera undergoes binary fission, a type of asexual reproduction in which a mother cell divides into two daughter cells....[More]
DIATOM REPRODUCTION:
The marine diatom Rhizosolenia setigera undergoes binary fission, a type of asexual reproduction in which a mother cell divides into two daughter cells. The golden structures are chloroplasts, bodies that carry out photosynthesis. The organism's clear shell consists of silica glass. Hobbyist Wolfgang Bettighofer of Kiel, Germany, stacked 15 photomicrographic frames to create the image, which shows about 300 microns of the recently divided cells.
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Wolfgang Bettighofer
BUTTERFLY WING:
The abstract beauty of a butterfly wing is revealed in this image by Sahar Khodaverdi, who is earning a master's degree in plant biology at the University of Tabriz in Iran....[More]
BUTTERFLY WING:
The abstract beauty of a butterfly wing is revealed in this image by Sahar Khodaverdi, who is earning a master's degree in plant biology at the University of Tabriz in Iran. Butterfly wings are covered with delicate scales. The color and iridescence of the wings arise from both the pigments in the scales and the way light interacts with the nanostructure of those scales.
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Sahar Khodaverdi/University of Tabriz
FERN SPORANGIA:
Inspect the underside of a fern frond, and you may find it covered with dark spots known as sori. Each sorus is made up of clusters of structures called sporangia that contain spores for reproduction....[More]
FERN SPORANGIA:
Inspect the underside of a fern frond, and you may find it covered with dark spots known as sori. Each sorus is made up of clusters of structures called sporangia that contain spores for reproduction. Here sporangia from the fern Polypodium virginianum (multicolored structures) mingle with specialized hairs termed paraphyses (red) that are believed to protect the spores from the elements. Neurobiologist Igor Siwanowicz of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute campus in Ashburn, Va., visualized the cluster, which measures nearly a millimeter across, using the same fluorescent dyes he applies to invertebrate animals.
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Igor Siwanowicz/Howard Hughes Medical Institute
ZEBRA FISH EMBRYO:
Karen W. Dehnert, Scott T. Laughlin, Holly Aaron and Carolyn R. Bertozzi of the University of California, Berkeley, obtained this image of a live zebra fish embryo, 19 hours old, using 10× magnification while studying how the distribution of a class of carbohydrates containing a sugar known as fucose changes during development....[More]
ZEBRA FISH EMBRYO:
Karen W. Dehnert, Scott T. Laughlin, Holly Aaron and Carolyn R. Bertozzi of the University of California, Berkeley, obtained this image of a live zebra fish embryo, 19 hours old, using 10× magnification while studying how the distribution of a class of carbohydrates containing a sugar known as fucose changes during development. The addition of fucose to certain molecules is essential for proper embryonic development.
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Karen W. Dehnert and Holly Aaron/ University of California, Berkeley
LEAF HAIRS:
Star-shaped hairs cover the leaves of the ornamental shrub Deutzia scabra . The hairs, which measure around 0.25 millimeter across, defend against grazing animals, wind, frost and ultraviolet radiation....[More]
LEAF HAIRS:
Star-shaped hairs cover the leaves of the ornamental shrub Deutzia scabra. The hairs, which measure around 0.25 millimeter across, defend against grazing animals, wind, frost and ultraviolet radiation. In Japan, woodworkers use the abrasive leaves for fine polishing. To get these dense hairs of varying height in focus, freelance microphotographer Steve Lowry took a series of images at different foci and then combined the in-focus information using a computer program to create a single, stacked image.
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MOTH CATERPILLAR:
In a second micrograph made by Siwanowicz, a slug moth caterpillar prepares to bundle up in a silk cocoon for the last phase of its metamorphosis into the adult moth form....[More]
MOTH CATERPILLAR:
In a second micrograph made by Siwanowicz, a slug moth caterpillar prepares to bundle up in a silk cocoon for the last phase of its metamorphosis into the adult moth form. Each of its simple eyes has six dome-shaped lenses. Adults, in contrast, have large, multifaceted compound eyes. To compensate for the poor vision afforded by their simple eyes, caterpillars are covered with receptors for other senses. The caterpillar's head is roughly 0.5 millimeter wide.
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Igor Siwanowicz/Howard Hughes Medical Institute
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