1st Place Winner

A leaf, a louse and neurons all take center stage in this year's annual Nikon Small World microscopy contest. The winners, made up of scientists, professional photographers and hobbyists, used a light microscope and other photographic techniques to capture their subjects and showcase the microscopic beauty within. To see all submissions and learn further about the contest visit their <a href="https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/galleries/photomicrography-competition" target="external">website.</a></br></br> A southern live oak leaf.
Jason Kirk courtesy Nikon Small World
2nd Place Winner

300K neurons in two separate populations.
Esmeralda Paric/Holly Stefen courtesy Nikon Small World
3rd Place Winner

The claw of a louse.
Frank Reiser courtesy Nikon Small World

A sensory neuron from an embryonic rat.
Paula Diaz courtesy Nikon Small World

Proboscis of a housefly.
Oliver Dum courtesy Nikon Small World

3D vasculature of an adult mouse brain.
Dr. Andrea Tedeschi courtesy Nikon Small World

Head of a tick.
Dr. Tong Zhang and Dr. Paul Stoodley courtesy Nikon Small World

Cross section of mouse intestine.
Dr. Amy Engevik courtesy Nikon Small World

A water flea carrying embryos and peritrichs.
Jan van IJken courtesy Nikon Small World

A vein and scales on a butterfly wing.
Sebastien Malo courtesy Nikon Small World

Vasculature of a mouse retina.
Jason Kirk and Carlos P. Flores Suarez courtesy Nikon Small World

Breast organoid showing contractile myoepithelial cells (blue) crawling on secretory breast cells (red).
Jakub Sumbal courtesy Nikon Small World

Cotton fabric with pollen grains.
Dr. Felice Placenti courtesy Nikon Small World

A snowflake.
Dr. Joern N. Hopke courtesy Nikon Small World

An in vivo snapshot of the neurons surrounding the mouth and tentacles of a juvenile starlet sea anemone.
Ruohan Zhong courtesy Nikon Small World

Filamentous strands of Nostoc cyanobacteria captured inside a gelatinous matrix.
Martin Kaae Kristiansen courtesy Nikon Small World

A crystal of table salt.
Saulius Gugis courtesy of Nikon Small World

Calcite crystal inclusion suspended in a spinel gemstone.
Billie Hughes courtesy Nikon Small World

Slime mold.
Alison Pollack courtesy Nikon Small World