Stunning Microscope Photos That Won Nikon's Annual Image Contest

2017-10-04T15:22:00.000Z

A strange and unseen world exists at our fingertips, and only microscopes have the power to bring this hidden dimension into view.

04 tapeworm head mouthparts taenia solium zgoda nikon small world microscope image cropped

To honor the beauty and scientific importance of microscopic photographs— also called micrographs — the Nikon Small World image contest hands out awards and prizes to researchers and hobbyists who capture the most impressive images.

A handful of independent judges picks the contest's 20 best micrographs, and this year I joined the 43rd judging panel.

We reviewed more than 2,000 pictures from all over the world, and selected the best pictures based on technique, subject matter, and inherent beauty. (We also watched hundreds of stunning videos for the 2017 Nikon Small World in Motion competition.)

The image shown above is a tapeworm's head with all of its spiky mouthparts in stunning detail.

To see all of the photos the judges picked as winners, keep scrolling.

This image won first place. It shows keratin structures in "immortalized" human skin cells, which are increasingly important tools for medical researchers.

01 human skin cells keratin fluorescence van der broek nikon small world microscope image

This image came in second. It shows the seed-filled head of a groundsel flower.

02 groundsel old man spring flower seeds head senecio vulgaris sarfaty nikon small world microscope image

This Pac-Man-like photo is the third-place winner. It shows a colony of volvox algae bursting open.

03 volvox algae daughter colonies babalian nikon small world microscope image

Here's the full shot of that tapeworm head. Yikes.

04 tapeworm head mouthparts taenia solium zgoda nikon small world microscope image

Mold grows on a tomato in this image.

05 mold fungus rotting red tomato lerman nikon small world microscope image

These are grains of lily pollen.

06 lily flower pollen johnston nikon small world microscope image

This part of an embryonic chick brain is colored with the "brainbow" genetic technique.

07 brainbow neural cell axons ganglion chick embryo egawa nikon small world microscope image

Sensory hair cells (green) and neurons (red) reveal the structure of a rat cochlea (part of the inner ear).

08 rat ear cochlea sensory hair neuron cells perny nikon small world microscope image

This cartilage-like tissue, which was grown from bone stem cells, was colored and arranged to look like a Christmas tree.

09 bone stem cell collagen fat christmas tree moura nikon small world microscope image

Two weevils work hard at passing on their genetic inheritance.

10 green weevils mating phyllobius robertanus pinter nikon small world microscope image

A close-up of a credit card's holographic logo.

Steven Simon/Nikon Small World

When you look at a daddy long-legs, these spiky eyes look back at you.

12 daddy long legs eye opiliones arachnid krebs nikon small world microscope image

The exoskeletal armor of an orchid cuckoo bee shines like metal.

13 orchid cuckoo bee insect exaerete frontalis bliss nikon small world microscope image

Two Maestra butterfly eggs are nestled together on a leaf.

14 maestra butterfly eggs noseburn plant leaf millard nikon small world microscope image

A bat fetus with see-through skin and bones.

15 fruit bat megachiroptera fetus third trimester transparent bones adams nikon small world microscope image

A great tit bird's down feathers shine like a rainbow under a microscope.

16 down feather great tit bird parus major mis nikon small world microscope image

This dyed human hair is tied into a knot.

17 dyed human hair pink purple tied knot andersen nikon small world microscope image

Anchor-like structures line the skin of sea cucumbers.

18 sea cucumber skin synapta anchors rainbow gautler nikon small world microscope image

An impressive profile of a mouse embryo wall.

Dr. Dylan Burnette/Nikon Small World

A colony of fungus in soil looks like a setting sun.

20 microbial sunrise yeast fungus colony soil aspergillus flavus scott nikon small world microscope image

These award-winning microscope photos reveal a bizarre universe just out of reach

This image won first place. It shows keratin structures in "immortalized" human skin cells, which are increasingly important tools for medical researchers.

This image came in second. It shows the seed-filled head of a groundsel flower.

This Pac-Man-like photo is the third-place winner. It shows a colony of volvox algae bursting open.

Here's the full shot of that tapeworm head. Yikes.

Mold grows on a tomato in this image.

These are grains of lily pollen.

This part of an embryonic chick brain is colored with the "brainbow" genetic technique.

Sensory hair cells (green) and neurons (red) reveal the structure of a rat cochlea (part of the inner ear).

This cartilage-like tissue, which was grown from bone stem cells, was colored and arranged to look like a Christmas tree.

Two weevils work hard at passing on their genetic inheritance.

A close-up of a credit card's holographic logo.

When you look at a daddy long-legs, these spiky eyes look back at you.

The exoskeletal armor of an orchid cuckoo bee shines like metal.

Two Maestra butterfly eggs are nestled together on a leaf.

A bat fetus with see-through skin and bones.

A great tit bird's down feathers shine like a rainbow under a microscope.

This dyed human hair is tied into a knot.

Anchor-like structures line the skin of sea cucumbers.

An impressive profile of a mouse embryo wall.

A colony of fungus in soil looks like a setting sun.

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