Rust fungus spores (scale 8,960:1)
New spores on the surface of rust fungus. This fungus attacked a plant and killed it from the inside in just a few days. the diameter of each spore is only three to four thousandths of a millimetre. This picture was recently awarded the 2008 EMBO Journal Cover Contest prize for "Best Science Image". (© Martin Oeggerli)
Moss capsules (scale 16:1)
Dried moss capsules release spores after a drought. This particular moss is among the oldest plants on Earth. The picture is part of the biggest scanning-electron image ever printed. The original is 1.5 by 2.5 metres. (© Martin Oeggerli)
Surface of a water fern (scale 130:1)
The floating leaves of water ferns are around half a centimetre across. Their surface is covered with tiny structures that repulse water. Even when it rains heavily, these structures prevent the leaf from sinking.(© Martin Oeggerli)
Butterfly wing (scale 840:1)
A butterfly's wings are covered with a sort of coloured "dust" that vanishes if touched. A microscope view shows that the dust is made up of overlapping scales made up of chitin, a product that often constitutes the outer skeleton of insects. (© Martin Oeggerli)
Tulip pollen (scale 5,000:1)
Tulips produce millions of pollen grains. Their large colourful flowers attract insects looking for nectar, who then help distribute the pollen elsewhere. This photo finished third in the "Best Research Picture 2006" competition of German magazine Focus. (© Martin Oeggerli)
Mammalian cells (scale 1,600:1)
A mammalian cell divides. The cell's nucleus is split before the rest of the cell. This leads to the creation of two daughter cells, genetically identical to each other and to their parent cell. (© Martin Oeggerli)
The eye of the midge (scale 6,900:1)
A view of the outer edge of a non-biting midge's compound eye. Fully-grown animals are just two to three millimetres long. (© Martin Oeggerli)