Every year we are amazed by the Nikon Small World winners, and this year is no different. Grigorii Timin has taken top prize in 2022 for his image of an embryonic gecko's hand, painstakingly merging hundreds of images together to form one striking photograph.
Second place was awarded to Dr Caleb Dawson for his image of breast tissue showing contractile myoepithelial cells wrapped around milk-producing alveoli. Third place went to Satu Paavonsalo and Dr Sinem Karaman for their intricate image of blood vessel networks in the intestine of an adult mouse.
Other highlights in this year's batch include a burning candle close-up, mouse blood vessels and a fly being savagely crushed by a tiger beetle. The Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition is open to anyone with an interest in photography or video. The awards have been championing the best microscopic imagery for nearly 50 years.
Overall winner
Embryonic hand of a Madagascar giant day gecko (Phelsuma grandis). The cyan areas are nerves, and the bones, tendons, ligaments, skin and blood cells are shown in a range of warmer colours. This embryonic hand is about 3mm in length. Photographed at 63x magnification. Photo by Grigorii Timin & Dr Michel Milinkovitch/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Second place
Human breast tissue showing contractile myoepithelial cells wrapped around milk-producing alveoli. Photographed at 40x magnification. Photo by Dr Caleb Dawson/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Third place
Blood vessel network of a mouse intestine. Photographed at 10x magnification. Photo by Satu Paavonsalo & Dr Sinem Karaman/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Fourth place
Long-bodied cellar, or daddy long-legs spider (Pholcus phalangioides). Photographed at 3x magnification. Photo by Dr Andrew Posselt/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Fifth place
Slime mould (Lamproderma). Photographed at 10x magnification. Photo by Alison Pollack/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Sixth place
Unburned particles of carbon released when the hydrocarbon chain of candle wax breaks down. Photographed at 2.5x magnification. Photo by Ole Bielfeldt/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Seventh place
Human neurons derived from neural stem cells (NSCs). Photographed at 20x magnification. Photo by Dr Jianqun Gao & Prof Glenda Halliday/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Eighth place
Growing tip of a red algae (Rhodophyta). Photographed at 10x magnification. Photo by Dr Nathanaël Prunet/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Ninth place
A liquid crystal mixture that resembles a person wearing a uniform. Photographed at 40x magnification. Photo by Dr Marek Sutkowski/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Tenth place
A fly under the chin of a tiger beetle. Photographed at 3.7x magnification. Photo by Murat Öztürk/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Eleventh place
An image of a stack of moth eggs. Photographed at 10x magnification. Photo by Ye Fei Zhang/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Twelfth place
Autofluorescence of a single coral polyp (approximately 1mm). Photographed at 20x magnification. Photo by Brett M Lewis/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Thirteenth place
A remineralised dinosaur bone. Photographed at 60x magnification. Photo by Randy Fullbright/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Sixteenth place
Longitudinal section through a white asparagus shoot tip. Photographed at 10x magnification. Photo by Dr Oliver Leroux/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Honourable mention
A stacked image of a butterfly egg. Photographed at 10x magnification. Photo by Ye Fei Zhang/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Honourable mention
A radula (rasping tongue) of a marine snail (Turbinidae family). Photographed at 10x magnification. Photo by Dr Igor Siwanowicz/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Honourable mention
Two-month-old juvenile sea star (Patiria miniata). Photographed at 20x magnification. Photo by Dr Laurent Formery/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Honourable mention
A colourful slime mould (Didymium clavus). Photographed at 10x magnification. Photo by Alison Pollack/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Honourable mention
Cross section of young stem of garden bamboo (Fargesia sp.). Photographed at 10x magnification. Photo by Gerd Günther/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
A microscopic image of a mouse retina. Photographed at 4x magnification. Photo by Dr Jason Hill/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Images of Distinction
A red speckled jewel beetle (Chrysochroa buqueti rugicollis). Photographed at 3x magnification. Photo by Yousef Al Habshi/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Images of Distinction
A human lung cell infected with coronavirus. Photographed at 60x magnification. Photo by Dr Honor Glenn/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Images of Distinction
Winged ant encased in approximately 20 million-year-old Dominican amber. Photographed at 5x magnification. Photo by Enrico Bonino/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Images of Distinction
A dental drill bit studded with diamond chips. Photographed at 4x magnification. Photo by Karl E Deckart/Nikon Small World Competition 2022
Take a look at previous Nikon Small World Competition winners:
James Cutmore is the picture editor of BBC Science Focus Magazine, researching striking images for the magazine and on the website. He is also has a passion for taking his own photographs
