Scanning Electron Micrograph Tapestries

Lyme disease bacteria. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, the cause of Lyme disease. These spirochaete (spiral-shaped) bacteria are passed to humans through the bites of infected Ixodes sp. ticks. Symptoms of Lyme disease include skin lesions, muscle pain, neurological and cardiac abnormalities, and arthritis. Treatments include antibiotic and corticosteroid drugs.

Eye anatomy. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of part of the ciliary body (red/yellow) of the eye, a ring-shaped structure inside the eye, surrounding the iris. This view looks at part of the ciliary body (arching from top to bottom down right), as seen from inside the eye. Part of the iris is seen down left. Part of the choroid (outer layer of the eye) is just seen at far right. The ciliary body joins to ligaments that hold the lens in place behind the iris. The lens has been removed here. The ciliary body also contains the ciliary muscle that is contracted to alter the curvature of the lens and focus light on the retina at the back of the eye. These structures are at the front of the eye.

Rust fungus. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the fungus Uromyces fabae, which causes rust disease, growing on the leaf of a mallow plant. This view shows the surface of the leaf (at lower frame). Bursting through the surface is a pustule of string- like hyphae, or branching filaments, of the fungus with rounded tips producing spores. Rust is named for the brown pustules it produces on the surface of infected leaves. These rust spots contain millions of spores ready to spread the infection. Magnification: x73cm at 5x7cm size. Magnification; x250 at 8x10" size.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria (blue) on ciliated human nasal epithelium. These Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria move using tiny hair-like flagellae. P. aeruginosa is common in the human intestine, but can cause serious wound, skin and urinary tract infections. It can also multiply in the warm, moist conditions found in baby incubators and ventilating machines and so be inhaled in large numbers. Such infections of the respiratory tract are usually harmless, but can result in dangerous pneumonia. Magnification unknown.

Neuron (pyramidal nerve cell) growing on the surface of an astrocytic neuroglial cell (culture), coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM). Neurons are (also known as nerve cells) are cells of the nervous system that are specialized to carry messages through an electrochemical process. They have special cells called astrocytes (also known as astroglia) that are a type of neuroglial cell that provides support functions in the central nervous tissue and spinal cord. They perform a variety of tasks, from axon guidance and synaptic support, to the control of the blood brain barrier and blood flow. Magnification: x825 when shortest axis printed at 25 millimetres.

Human embryo. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a human embryo at the 16-cell stage on the tip of a pin. The ball of cells (yellow) of the embryo is known as a morula, a cluster of almost identical, rounded cells, each containing a central nucleus. This 16-cell embryo is about three days old. It is at the early stage of transformation from a single cell to a human composed of millions of cells. The cells multiply by repeated cleavage divisions (mitosis) and will form a hollow ball of cells (the blastocyst). Development of the blastocyst occurs before the embryo implants into the wall of the uterus (womb). Magnification: x130 at 6x7cm size. Magnification: x450 at 8x10 inch size.

Retina. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a resin cast of the retina, the light- sensitive membrane that lines the back of the eye. Blood vessels (red, purple) radiate out from the optic disc (yellow). The optic disc is the area where the optic nerve and blood vessels enter the eye. Due to this, it has no light-sensitive cells and is the cause of the blind spot. The cast was made by injecting resin into the blood vessels, followed by chemical digestion of the surrounding tissues.

Archaea, coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM). Archaea are a group of single-celled microorganisms that are similar to, but evolutionarily distinct from bacteria. They are found in some of the most extreme environments on the planet. Magnification: x20,000 when printed at 10 centimetres wide.

Kidney glomeruli, coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM). The cells that usually surround the glomeruli have been removed to reveal the coiled capillaries at the core of the glomeruli. The function of the glomeruli is to filter waste products from the blood. After the reabsorption of certain substances elsewhere in the kidney, the liquid is transported to the bladder as urine.

Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the penicillin fungus (Penicillium chrysogenum) showing close-up of the spores (conidia, round) being extruded from conidiophore. Magnification: x1750 when printed at 10 cenitmetres tall.

Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a neutrophil white blood cell engulfing Bacillus anthracis bacteria (green), the cause of anthrax. This process is called phagocytosis. B anthracis are rod-shaped, Gram-positive, spore-forming bacteria. The bacteria can infect the skin (cutaneous anthrax), causing raised itchy lesions, the lungs (pulmonary anthrax), which is fatal unless treated quickly, and the digestive system (gastrointestinal anthrax), causing vomiting of blood and severe diarrhoea. All forms can be fatal if left untreated. Treatment is with antibiotics. Neutrophils are the most abundant white blood cell and are part of the body's immune system.

Household dust. Coloured Scanning Electron Micro- graph (SEM) of a sample of household dust. Dust contains an assortment of substances which can cause asthma or other allergic reactions. The allergens seen here include: long hairs such as cat fur, twisted synthetic and woollen fibres, serrated insect scales, a pollen grain, plant and insect remains. Asthma or hay fever are often a hypersensitive and irritant response to substances that, in most people, are harmless. Airborne allergens may come into contact with the respiratory airways, skin or surface of the eye. Magnification: x115 at 6x7cm size. x380 at 8x12"

Stem cells. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the surface of a clump of human embryonic stem cells (HESCs), showing surface detail. HESCs are pluripotent, which means that they are able to differentiate into any of the 200 cell types in the human body. The type of cell they mature into depends upon the biochemical signals they receive, though the cells seen here have not been exposed to growth factors. HESCs are being studied as a way to repair damaged tissue in diseases such as diabetes and Parkinson's. These cells were grown in 2005 at the Centre for Life, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK. Magnification: x2200 when printed 10cm wide.

Eye lens fibres. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a freeze-fracture of fibres from the lens of an eye. Lens cells lack a nuclei, and the main constituent of the cells is the protein crystallin. Tightly packed layers of lens fibres (as seen here) are referred to as laminae. The lens fibres are linked together via gap junctions (one seen here) and interdigitations of the cells. The transparency of the lens is thought to arise from the regular arrangement of these cells. Magnification: x2000 when printed at 10 centimetres wide.

Human embryo. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a human embryo at the 16-cell stage on the tip of a pin. The ball of cells (yellow) of the embryo is known as a morula, a cluster of almost identical, rounded cells, each containing a central nucleus. This 16-cell embryo is about three days old. It is at the early stage of transformation from a single cell to a human composed of millions of cells. The cells multiply by repeated cleavage divisions (mitosis) and will form a hollow ball of cells (the blastocyst). Development of the blastocyst occurs before the embryo implants into the wall of the uterus (womb). Magnification: x130 at 6x7cm size. Magnification: x450 at 8x10 inch size.

Bacteria infecting a macrophage. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria (purple) infecting a macrophage white blood cell. The macrophage, when activated, will engulf (phagocytose) the bacteria and destroy them as part of the body's immune response. M. tuberculosis causes the disease tuberculosis. It infects the lungs creating primary tubercles, nodular lesions of dead tissue and bacteria. The bacteria may enter the blood or lymph systems and spread to other organs of the body. Tuberculosis is spread by coughs and sneezes.

Organ of Corti. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the organ of Corti from the cochlea of the inner ear. The bony capsule that encloses the organ has been removed to reveal the organ's spiral structure. Rows of sensory hairs within the organ of Corti convert sound vibrations into nerve impulses that are sent along the auditory nerve to the brain. Different sound frequencies stimulate hairs in different positions along the spiral. Low frequencies stimulate those near the top of the spiral and high frequencies stimulate those near the bottom.

T cells attacking cancer cell, coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM). The T cells (red) are attacking an oral squamous cancer cell (white). The cytotoxic (cell-killing) T cells are part of a natural immune response. Research being carried out in the field of nanomedicine is creating personalized cancer vaccines by loading neoantigens from a patient's tumour into nanoparticles. These nanoparticles are then used to activate the patient's own immune system, triggering the actions of T cells as seen here.

Kidney stone. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the surface of a kidney stone. Kidney stones are usually formed by the precipitation of the mineral salt calcium oxalate from the urine. The resulting hard, round stones (calculi) may cause severe pain, especially as they pass down the urinary tract. Large stones may need to be surgically removed or broken down using ultrasound therapy.

Diatoms. Coloured scanning electron micrographs (SEMs) of a circular arrangement of various diatoms. Diatoms are planktonic unicellular algae. They have a mineralised cell wall (frustule) divided into two halves. The frustule contains silica and provides protection and support. Magnification unknown.

Bone marrow stem cell on colagen fibrils. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a stem cell from adult bone marrow on the surface of cartilage. Bone marrow is the tissue found in the hollow interior of bones. It makes several different types of cells, including white blood cells (leucocytes), red blood cells (erythrocytes), cartilage cells (chondrocytes) and bone cells (osteocytes). Image width is 42.6 microns.

Resting T lymphocytes. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of resting T lymphocytes from a human blood sample. T lymphocytes, or T cells, are a type of white blood cell and components of the body's immune system. They mature in the thymus. T lymphocytes recognise a specific site on the surface of pathogens or foreign objects (antigens), bind to it, and attract antibodies or cells to eliminate that antigen. Specimen courtesy of Professor Greg Towers, University College London. Magnification: x3000 when printed at 10 centimetres wide.

False-colour scanning electron micrograph of a TM 2716 integrated circuit, showing a corner of the device with surrounding connecting pin leads. This chip is of the EPROM type - Eraseable, Programmable, Read Only Memory. EPROM chips are programmed by applying a voltage across selected connecting pins. Some such devices may then be subsequently reprogrammed - other types, PROMs, may not. Magnification: X 30 at 6x4. 5cm size. The TM 2716 EPROM chip is of the NMOS type (n- type

Dendritic cell. Coloured ion-abrasion scanning electron micrograph (IA-SEM) showing sheet-like cellular extensions on a dendritic cell. These extensions trap HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) particles, aiding their spread through the body. Dendritic cells are a component of the body's immune system. They are antigen-presenting cells (APCs), that is, they present pathogens or foreign molecules (antigens) to other cells of the immune system to be eliminated. HIV uses the body's defences against itself. When dendritic cells interact with T cells, HIV is transmitted to the T cells, infecting them. IA-SEM allows nanoscale three dimensional imaging of whole cells.

Resting T lymphocytes. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of resting T lymphocytes from a human blood sample. T lymphocytes, or T cells, are a type of white blood cell and components of the body's immune system. They mature in the thymus. T lymphocytes recognise a specific site on the surface of pathogens or foreign objects (antigens), bind to it, and attract antibodies or cells to eliminate that antigen. Specimen courtesy of Professor Greg Towers, University College London. Magnification: x 6000 when printed at 10 centimetres wide.

False-colour scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of budding yeast. Yeasts are unicellular fungi which multiply by budding. Several species are of great economic importance, being used in the brewing & baking industries because they secrete enzymes which convert sugars into alcohol & carbon dioxide. The species of yeast shown here is one of the ones used in brewing. Magnification: x3400 at 35mm size. Tinted gold. Original is BW print B250/05M.

Microglia. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of protective cells of the human immune system known as a microglia. Microglia process foreign antigens then act like an alarm signal, alerting other immune cells of the body to the infection. The long projections seen on the cell's surface are "feet" to help it move. Dendritic cells found in the central nervous system are known as microglia, in the upper layer of the skin (the epidermis) they are known as histiocytes or Langerhans cells. and in the liver as Kupffer cells. Magnification:x1300 when printed at 10cm high.

Dendritic cell. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a protective cell of the human immune system known as a dendritic cell. Dendritic cells process foreign antigens then act like an alarm signal, alerting other immune cells of the body to the infection. The long projections seen on the cell's surface are "feet" to help it move. Dendritic cells found in the upper layer of the skin (the epidermis) are known as histiocytes or Langerhans cells. In the central nervous system dendritic cells are known as microglia, and in the liver as Kupffer cells. Magnification:x 2600 when printed at 10cm wide.

Microplastic bobble. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a microplastic bobble from a poly-cotton garment. Bobbles (pilling or linting) are essentially damaged fibres that are pulled or torn from clothing and get caught back up in the fibres of the garments in washing machines or dryers or are shed into the environment. Collectively, every time we wash millions of pieces of these microplastics escape into the environment. Microfibers account for 85 percent of global shoreline pollution, and are responsible for most microplastic pollution in our waterways and oceans. The enormous surface area of microfibers attracts and adsorbs large amounts of toxins that they come into contact with. Animals ingest these hazardous chemicals al...

Activated platelet, coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM). Platelets, or thrombocytes, are fragments of white blood cells. When blood clots, red blood cells (erythrocytes) are trapped within a fibrin protein mesh, which is formed in response to chemicals secreted by the platelets. Magnification: x15000 when printed at 10 centimetres tall.

Oral bacteria. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of mixed oral bacteria (Streptococcus, round) with some bacilli bacteria (rod-shaped).

Calcium phosphate crystal, coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM). Crystalline materials have their atoms placed in regular lattices that can form geometric shapes like this. Calcium phosphate crystals contain both calcium (Ca) and phosphate (PO4) ions, but the precise ratio varies according to the crystal structure. Calcium phosphates are used in dental materials and also in foodstuffs. Magnification: x7100 when printed 10cm wide.