The world is full of hidden wonders, and sometimes, the most extraordinary things are the ones we can't see with the naked eye. For 50 years, Nikon's Small World competition has been shining a light on the beauty and complexity of the microscopic world. It's where cutting-edge science and captivating artistry collide, revealing breathtaking images captured through the lens of a light microscope.
Related: Micro-Color: The Colorful Life of Little Critters!
This year, over 2,100 entries poured in from across the globe, showcasing the incredible talent of scientists and hobbyists alike. Each image was carefully judged by a panel of experts, taking into consideration its originality, its informational value, its technical skill, and its visual impact. Scroll down for 15 of the best entries from the 2024 competition.
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1. 1st Place, Dr. Bruno Cisterna & Dr. Eric Vitriol, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Department of Neuroscience & Regenerative Medicine.
Differentiated mouse brain tumor cells (actin, microtubules, and nuclei).
2. 2nd Place, Dr. Marcel Clemens, Verona, Veneto, Italy.
Electrical arc between a pin and a wire.
3. 3rd Place, Chris Romaine, Kandid Kush, Port Townsend, Washington, USA.
Leaf of a cannabis plant. The bulbous glands are trichomes. The bubbles inside are cannabinoid vesicles.
4. 4th Place, Dr. Amy Engevik, Medical University of South Carolina Department of Regenerative Medicine & Cell Biology.
Section of a small intestine of a mouse.
5. 5th Place, Thomas Barlow & Connor Gibbons, Columbia University Department of Neurobiology and Behavior.
Cluster of octopus (Octopus hummelincki) eggs.
6. 6th Place, Henri Koskinen, Helsinki University.
Slime mold (Cribraria cancellata).
7. 7th Place, Gerhard Vlcek, Maria Enzersdorf, Austria.
Cross section of European beach grass (Ammophila arenaria) leaf.
8. 8th Place, Stephanie Huang, Victoria University of Wellington, School of Biological Sciences; School of Psychology, Wellington, New Zealand.
A neuron densely covered in dendritic spines from the striatum of an adult rat brain.
9. 9th Place, John-Oliver Dum, Medienbunker Produktion, Bendorf, Rheinland Pfalz, Germany.
Pollen in a garden spider (Araneus) web.
10. 10th Place, Jan Martinek, Charles University Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Prague, Czech Republic.
Spores of black truffle (Tuber melanosporum).
11. 11th Place, Dr. Ferenc Halmos, Bánd, Veszprém, Hungary.
Slime mold on a rotten twig with water droplets.
12. 12th Place, Daniel Knop, Oberzent-Airlenbach, Hessen, Germany.
Wing scales of a butterfly (Papilio ulysses) on a medical syringe needle.
13. 13th Place, Paweł Błachowicz, Bedlno, Świętokrzyskie, Poland.
Eyes of a green crab spider (Diaea dorsata).
14. 14th Place, Marek Miś, Marek Miś Photography, Suwalki, Podlaskie, Poland.
Recrystallized mixture of hydroquinone and myoinositol.
15. 15th Place, Sébastien Malo, Saint Lys, Haute-Garonne, France.
Isolated scales on Madagascan sunset moth wing (Chrysiridia ripheus).
