This is the 40th year that camera maker Nikon has held its Small World competition, which seeks the best magnified images melding science and art. Finishing in first place this year was Rogelio Moreno, who took this magnified photo of a rotifer that shows its mouth interior and heart-shaped corona.
Nikon Small World: 2014 winners —
This is the 40th year that camera maker Nikon has held its Small World competition, which seeks the best magnified images melding science and art. Finishing in first place this year was Rogelio Moreno, who took this magnified photo of a rotifer that shows its mouth interior and heart-shaped corona.
courtesy Nikon Small World
<strong>Second place: Alessandro Da Mommio, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Pisa</strong><br /><br />Rhombohedral cleavage in calcite crystal
Nikon Small World: 2014 winners —
Second place: Alessandro Da Mommio, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Pisa

Rhombohedral cleavage in calcite crystal
courtesy Nikon Small World
<strong>Third place: Noah Fram-Schwartz</strong> <br /><br />Eyes of a jumping spider
Nikon Small World: 2014 winners —
Third place: Noah Fram-Schwartz

Eyes of a jumping spider
courtesy Nikon Small World
<strong>Fourth place: Karin Panser, Research Institute of Molecular Pathology</strong><br /><br />Caterpillar proleg with circle of gripping hooks in red
Nikon Small World: 2014 winners —
Fourth place: Karin Panser, Research Institute of Molecular Pathology

Caterpillar proleg with circle of gripping hooks in red
courtesy Nikon Small World
<strong>Fifth place: Dr. Muthugapatti K. Kandasamy, Biomedical Microscopy Core, University of Georgia</strong> <br /><br />Bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells, stained for actin (pink), mitochondria (green) and DNA (yellow)
Nikon Small World: 2014 winners —
Fifth place: Dr. Muthugapatti K. Kandasamy, Biomedical Microscopy Core, University of Georgia

Bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells, stained for actin (pink), mitochondria (green) and DNA (yellow)
courtesy Nikon Small World
<strong>Sixth place: Dr. Douglas Brumley, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology</strong> <br /><br />Active fluid flow around P. damicornis (coral polyp)
Nikon Small World: 2014 winners —
Sixth place: Dr. Douglas Brumley, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Active fluid flow around P. damicornis (coral polyp)
courtesy Nikon Small World
<strong>Seventh place: Dennis Hinks </strong><br /><br />Circuitry in DVD reader
Nikon Small World: 2014 winners —
Seventh place: Dennis Hinks

Circuitry in DVD reader
courtesy Nikon Small World
<strong>Eighth place: Dr. Igor Robert Siwanowicz, Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute</strong><br /><br />Appendages of a common brine shrimp
Nikon Small World: 2014 winners —
Eighth place: Dr. Igor Robert Siwanowicz, Janelia Farm Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Appendages of a common brine shrimp
courtesy Nikon Small World
<strong>Ninth place: Meritxell Vendrell, Autonomous University of Barcelona</strong><br /><br />Parsley ovary fixed and stained to show lectins (red) and nuclei (blue)
Nikon Small World: 2014 winners —
Ninth place: Meritxell Vendrell, Autonomous University of Barcelona

Parsley ovary fixed and stained to show lectins (red) and nuclei (blue)
courtesy Nikon Small World
<strong>10th place: Dr. Paul Joseph Rigby, Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia</strong> <br /><br />Daisy petal with fungal infection and pollen grains, whole mount, unstained
Nikon Small World: 2014 winners —
10th place: Dr. Paul Joseph Rigby, Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia

Daisy petal with fungal infection and pollen grains, whole mount, unstained
courtesy Nikon Small World
<strong>11th place: Stefano Barone</strong> <br /><br />House cricket's tongue
Nikon Small World: 2014 winners —
11th place: Stefano Barone

House cricket's tongue
courtesy Nikon Small World
<strong>12th place: Douglas Moore, University Relations and Communications, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point</strong> <br /><br />Montana Dryhead agate, unpolished
Nikon Small World: 2014 winners —
12th place: Douglas Moore, University Relations and Communications, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

Montana Dryhead agate, unpolished
courtesy Nikon Small World
<strong>13th place: Charles Krebs</strong> <br /><br />Conochilus unicornis (rotifer), actively feeding -- this rotifer species forms a free-floating spherical colony
Nikon Small World: 2014 winners —
13th place: Charles Krebs

Conochilus unicornis (rotifer), actively feeding -- this rotifer species forms a free-floating spherical colony
courtesy Nikon Small World
<strong>14th place: Dr. Ali Erturk</strong> <br /><br />Mouse brain vasculature
Nikon Small World: 2014 winners —
14th place: Dr. Ali Erturk

Mouse brain vasculature
courtesy Nikon Small World
<strong>15th place: Charles Krebs</strong><br /><br />Chrysochroa buqueti (jewel beetle) carapace, near the eye
Nikon Small World: 2014 winners —
15th place: Charles Krebs

Chrysochroa buqueti (jewel beetle) carapace, near the eye
courtesy Nikon Small World
<strong>16th place: Dr. Nils Lindstrom, Developmental Biology, The Roslin Institute</strong> <br /><br />Three transgenic kidneys cultured together, showing colliding branching collecting duct systems
Nikon Small World: 2014 winners —
16th place: Dr. Nils Lindstrom, Developmental Biology, The Roslin Institute

Three transgenic kidneys cultured together, showing colliding branching collecting duct systems
courtesy Nikon Small World
<strong>17th place: Rogelio Moreno</strong> <br /><br />Pleurotaenium ovatum (micro algae)
Nikon Small World: 2014 winners —
17th place: Rogelio Moreno

Pleurotaenium ovatum (micro algae)
courtesy Nikon Small World
<strong>18th place: Jens H. Petersen, MycoKey</strong> <br /><br />Anagallis arvensis (scarlet pimpernel)
Nikon Small World: 2014 winners —
18th place: Jens H. Petersen, MycoKey

Anagallis arvensis (scarlet pimpernel)
courtesy Nikon Small World
<strong>19th place: Dr. Sabrina Kaul, University of Vienna</strong> <br /><br />Larval stage of the acorn worm Balanoglossus misakiensis, dorsal view, showing cell borders, muscles and apical eye spots
Nikon Small World: 2014 winners —
19th place: Dr. Sabrina Kaul, University of Vienna

Larval stage of the acorn worm Balanoglossus misakiensis, dorsal view, showing cell borders, muscles and apical eye spots
courtesy Nikon Small World
<strong>20th place: Dr. Dylan T. Burnette, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine</strong> <br /><br />A crawling bone cancer (osteosarcoma) cell showing actin filament bundles in the lamella
Nikon Small World: 2014 winners —
20th place: Dr. Dylan T. Burnette, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

A crawling bone cancer (osteosarcoma) cell showing actin filament bundles in the lamella
courtesy Nikon Small World