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Sometimes bigger is better, but other times it's all about the details, and as you can see from the winners of Nikon's 2017 Small World Photomicrography competition, it doesn't get more detailed than this.

The competition, which is now in its 43rd year, attracts doctors, scientists, and macro photography enthusiasts from all over the world, and over 2000 people from 88 countries submitted their work for consideration this year. For those of you who don't know, photomicrography is the practice of taking a photograph through a microscope or similar magnifying device in order to capture the intricate details of things invisible to the human eye.

This year's top prize went to researchers at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, BioImaging Facility & Department of Cell Biology, who captured immortalised human skin cells expressing fluorescently tagged keratin. Scroll down to see the rest of the winners. The categories are divided into winners, honorable mentions, and images of distinction, and you can find the full list on the Nikon Small World website.

More info: Nikon Small World (h/t: mymodernmet)

#1

Jumping Spider, Istanbul, Honorable Mention

Jumping Spider, Istanbul, Honorable Mention

Emre Can Alagöz Report

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Yezid Puerto
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

nope, a nope with four nopes,..., with great eyelashes,..., but nope........

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#2

Paracetamol (Common Painkiller) Crystals, Finland, Image Of Distinction

Paracetamol (Common Painkiller) Crystals, Finland, Image Of Distinction

Henri Koskinen Report

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ChubbySquid
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It looks as if the northern lights just fell to earth above Antarctica and coloured the glaciers.

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#3

Living Volvox Algae Releasing Its Daughter Colonies, Nantes, 3rd Place

Living Volvox Algae Releasing Its Daughter Colonies, Nantes, 3rd Place

Jean-Marc Babalian Report

#4

The Head Of A Pork Tapeworm, New York, 4th Place

The Head Of A Pork Tapeworm, New York, 4th Place

Teresa Zgoda Report

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#6

Traxacum Officinale (Dandelion) Cross Section Showing Curved Stigma With Pollen, Nottingham, Honorable Mention

Traxacum Officinale (Dandelion) Cross Section Showing Curved Stigma With Pollen, Nottingham, Honorable Mention

Dr. Robert Markus Report

#7

Immortalized Human Skin Cells Expressing Fluorescently Tagged Keratin, Amsterdam, 1st Place

Immortalized Human Skin Cells Expressing Fluorescently Tagged Keratin, Amsterdam, 1st Place

Dr. Bram van den Broek, Andriy Volkov, Dr. Kees Jalink, Dr. Reinhard Windoffer & Dr. Nicole Schwarz Report

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Vlad Horobet
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They should put this into biology books near the "mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell..."

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#8

Plastic Fracturing On Credit Card Hologram, Texas, 11th Place

Plastic Fracturing On Credit Card Hologram, Texas, 11th Place

Steven Simon Report

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#9

Natural Bridge (Petiole Nodes) Connecting The Abdomen And Thorax Of An Ant, Izmir, Image Of Destinction

Natural Bridge (Petiole Nodes) Connecting The Abdomen And Thorax Of An Ant, Izmir, Image Of Destinction

Can Tunçer Report

#10

Synapta (Sea-Cucumber) Skin, Le Mans, 18th Place

Synapta (Sea-Cucumber) Skin, Le Mans, 18th Place

Christian Gautier Report

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#11

3rd Trimester Fetus Of Megachiroptera, Colorado, 15th Place

3rd Trimester Fetus Of Megachiroptera, Colorado, 15th Place

Dr. Rick Adams Report

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Vlad Horobet
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To anyone who does not know what a Megachiroptera is the bigger version of the Chiroptera. J.k. It's a fruit eating bat.

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#12

Asilidae (Rubber Fly) Eye Section, Abu Dhabi, Image Of Distinction

Asilidae (Rubber Fly) Eye Section, Abu Dhabi, Image Of Distinction

Yousef Al Habshi Report

#14

Ganglion Cells Expressing Fluorescent Proteins In A Mouse Retina, California, Honorable Mention

Ganglion Cells Expressing Fluorescent Proteins In A Mouse Retina, California, Honorable Mention

Dr. Keunyoung Kim Report

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#16

Opiliones (Daddy Longlegs) Eye, Washington, 12th Place

Opiliones (Daddy Longlegs) Eye, Washington, 12th Place

Charles B. Krebs Report

#19

Nsutite And Cacoxenite (Minerals), Madrid, Image Of Distinction

Nsutite And Cacoxenite (Minerals), Madrid, Image Of Distinction

Emilio Carabajal Márquez Report

#20

Individually Labeled Axons In An Embryonic Chick Ciliary Ganglion, Nagoya, 7th Place

Individually Labeled Axons In An Embryonic Chick Ciliary Ganglion, Nagoya, 7th Place

Dr. Ryo Egawa Report

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#21

Neurons Derived From A Parkinson Patient, Seongnam, Honorable Mention

Neurons Derived From A Parkinson Patient, Seongnam, Honorable Mention

Dr. Regis Grailhe, Nasia Antoniou & Dr. Rebecca Matsas Report

#22

Abdominal Proleg Of A Caterpillar, Netanya, Image Of Destinction

Abdominal Proleg Of A Caterpillar, Netanya, Image Of Destinction

Dean Lerman Report

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Zori the degu
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It looks so complicated due to the fact that it's supposed to glue the caterpillar to the wall/plant/etc.

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#23

Aspergillus Flavus (Fungus) And Yeast Colony From Soil, New York, 20th Place

Aspergillus Flavus (Fungus) And Yeast Colony From Soil, New York, 20th Place

Tracy Scott Report

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Magpie
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Or a rising sun over the marshes. Nature imitating nature :))) stunning.

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#24

Melaleuca Sp. (Paperbark Tree) Leaf, Perth, Image Of Distinction

Melaleuca Sp. (Paperbark Tree) Leaf, Perth, Image Of Distinction

Dr. Paul Joseph Rigby Report

#25

Small Moth, Rostock, Image Of Destinction

Small Moth, Rostock, Image Of Destinction

Jan Rosenboom Report

#26

Moth Eggs In Spider Silk, Illinois, Image Of Destinction

Moth Eggs In Spider Silk, Illinois, Image Of Destinction

Walter Piorkowski Report

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The Cappy
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We'll be seeing this in a future Star Wars movie. Some alien city, I'm predicting.

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#27

Liquid Crystal, Colorado, Honorable Mention

Liquid Crystal, Colorado, Honorable Mention

Michael Tuchband Report

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Daria B
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For some reason, it reminds me of traditional Chinese dresses. I can totally imagine this as a pattern.

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#28

Parus Major (Titmouse) Down Feather, Podlaskie, 16th Place

Parus Major (Titmouse) Down Feather, Podlaskie, 16th Place

Marek Miś Report

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#29

Nerves (In Green) Under The Skin Of A Mouse (Hair Follicles Are Shown In Red And Blue), Uk, Image Of Distinction

Nerves (In Green) Under The Skin Of A Mouse (Hair Follicles Are Shown In Red And Blue), Uk, Image Of Distinction

Henri Koskinen Report

#30

Dyed Human Hair, Steinberg, 17th Place

Dyed Human Hair, Steinberg, 17th Place

Harald K. Andersen Report

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#31

Natural Sponge, Uk, Image Of Distinction

Natural Sponge, Uk, Image Of Distinction

Dr. David A. Johnston Report

#32

Common Mestra Butterfly Eggs, Laid On A Leaf Of Tragia Sp., Texas, 14th Place

Common Mestra Butterfly Eggs, Laid On A Leaf Of Tragia Sp., Texas, 14th Place

David Millard Report

#33

Stamen (Flower Organ),yahud Monsun, Image Of Distinction

Stamen (Flower Organ),yahud Monsun, Image Of Distinction

Samuel Silberman Report

#34

Circocerus (Beetle) Head, Kiel, Image Of Distinction

Circocerus (Beetle) Head, Kiel, Image Of Distinction

Dr. Jan Michels Report

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#35

Hippocampal (Brain) Region, California, Image Of Distinction

Hippocampal (Brain) Region, California, Image Of Distinction

Dr. Sarah Moghadam & Dr. Ahmad Salehi Report

#36

Growing Cartilage-Like Tissue In The Lab Using Bone Stem Cells (Collagen Fibers In Green And Fat Deposits In Red), Southampton, 9th Place

Growing Cartilage-Like Tissue In The Lab Using Bone Stem Cells (Collagen Fibers In Green And Fat Deposits In Red), Southampton, 9th Place

Catarina Moura, Dr. Sumeet Mahajan, Dr. Richard Oreffo & Dr. Rahul Tare Report

#37

Newborn Rat Cochlea With Sensory Hair Cells (Green) And Spiral Ganglion Neurons (Red), Bern, 8th Place

Newborn Rat Cochlea With Sensory Hair Cells (Green) And Spiral Ganglion Neurons (Red), Bern, 8th Place

Dr. Michael Perny Report

#38

Simple Eyes Of Ectemnius With Condensation, Tonbridge, Image Of Destinction

Simple Eyes Of Ectemnius With Condensation, Tonbridge, Image Of Destinction

Laurie Knight Report

#39

Pleurotaenium Ovatum, Panama, Image Of Distinction

Pleurotaenium Ovatum, Panama, Image Of Distinction

Rogelio Moreno Gill Report

#40

Warp Knitted Curtain Fabric, Zwijnaarde, Honorable Mention

Warp Knitted Curtain Fabric, Zwijnaarde, Honorable Mention

Marc Van Hove Report

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#41

Label-Free Optical Imaging Of Human Breast Tissue, Illinois, Image Of Distinction

Label-Free Optical Imaging Of Human Breast Tissue, Illinois, Image Of Distinction

Sixian You, Dr. Stephen A.J. Boppart & Dr. Haohua Tu Report

#42

Exaerete Frontalis From The Collections Of The Oxford University Museum Of Natural History, Ramsbury, 13th Place

Exaerete Frontalis From The Collections Of The Oxford University Museum Of Natural History, Ramsbury, 13th Place

Levon Biss Report

#44

Migrasome Of A Mouse Fibroblast Cell (L929), Beijing, Image Of Distinction

Migrasome Of A Mouse Fibroblast Cell (L929), Beijing, Image Of Distinction

Dr. Liang Ma & Dr. Li Yu Report

#45

Human Tongue Blood Vessels Injected With Lead Chromate, New York, Honorable Mention

Human Tongue Blood Vessels Injected With Lead Chromate, New York, Honorable Mention

Frank Reiser Report

#46

Sagittal Section Of Mouse Cerebellum (Brain), Athens, Image Of Distinction

Sagittal Section Of Mouse Cerebellum (Brain), Athens, Image Of Distinction

Dr. Aikaterini Segklia Report

#47

Early Stage Development Of Alcea Rosea (An Ornamental Flower), Usa, Image Of Distinction

Early Stage Development Of Alcea Rosea (An Ornamental Flower), Usa, Image Of Distinction

Masoumeh Sahar Khodaverdi Report

#49

Ciliated Respiratory Epithelial Cells (Yellow) And Mucus Producing Goblet Cells (Cyan), Containing Tight Junctions (Red) And Nuclei (Blue), Rotterdam, Honorable Mention

Ciliated Respiratory Epithelial Cells (Yellow) And Mucus Producing Goblet Cells (Cyan), Containing Tight Junctions (Red) And Nuclei (Blue), Rotterdam, Honorable Mention

Alwin de Jong, Dr. G.J. Kremers & Dr. R.L. de Swart Report

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#50

Embryonic Body Wall From A Developing Mus Musculus, Tennessee, 19th Place

Embryonic Body Wall From A Developing Mus Musculus, Tennessee, 19th Place

Dr. Dylan Burnette Report

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#51

Dye-Injected Hippocampal Interneuron In Mouse Brain Section, Budapest, Honorable Mention

Dye-Injected Hippocampal Interneuron In Mouse Brain Section, Budapest, Honorable Mention

Benjamin Barti Report

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Vlad Horobet
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"mom, i've dyed my hair pink, now i'm pretty" "oh honey, i've told you, it's how you are on the inside that matter" "well, gotta go to dye my hippocampal interneurons".

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