The year's best pictures from the world of medicine

[n2doc]

Wellcome Images is part of the Wellcome Trust, a charity that funds health research. For ten years it has awarded prizes for pictures that creatively explore the fields of medicine, social history, healthcare and biology. These are the 19 winners for 2009.


Scanning electron micrograph of a seed from a bird-of-paradise flower (Strelitzia reginae). This plant is native to South Africa and has a distinctive orange and blue flower, which resembles an exotic bird. The seed was originally bought to become the study of a watercolour painting by Annie Cavanagh, but Dave McCarthy's interest in it produced this stunning image.

(Image: Annie Cavanagh & Dave McCarthy)


Copolymers can be used in microparticle or "particle-in-particle" drug delivery. Polymers that do not dissolve in acidic solutions can be used to coat a drug to prevent it being released in the stomach; or slowly dissolving polymers can slowly release a drug, reducing the number of times a day a person has to take medication.

The inner particle, shown here in orange, is loaded with the drug prednisolone, used to treat inflammatory bowel disease. The outer particle, in blue, is the copolymer that encapsulates it.

(Image: Annie Cavanagh)


This image shows sensory nerve endings at the end of a hair follicle. Sensory nerves respond to stimuli to communicate movement, pressure and pain. The colours in this image were created by treating the tissue with silver nitrate and then processing it like photographic film. The nerve axons are stained black.

(Image: M. I. Walker



more:

http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/wellcome-image-awards

[FSogol]

1. Great gallery. Thanks. n/t

[Sal Minella]

2. Astonishing photos. Thanks for posting.

[roguevalley]

3. wow. I love science. thank you.