For 11 years, Olympus has held the BioScapes Digital Imaging Competition, showcasing the work of people with an eye toward the world's smallest things.
Entrants unveil the world of the tiny with images and videos that must be visually appealing, technically challenging, and scientifically stunning.
Since the contest's beginning, there have been thousands of spectacular entries illuminating the microscopic world; this year's best images are no exception.
This isn't a flower you're seeing, but the eggs of a louse fly being protected by what is likely a parent. These louse flies often turn up in bird's nests throughout Europe and Asia and, when hatched, feed off of bird's blood. Yousef Al Habshi took this amazing image. This is one of of the many honorable mentions in the competition; we've selected 12 to include here.
This little guy, as you might have guessed, is invisible to the human eye. Measuring in at between 0.0020 to 0.0130 inches, the Paramecium is often used in the lab to study biological processes because some species are easy to induce reproduction and division. Arturo Agostino took this image.
Dr. Katie Matho snapped this colorful shot of Brainbow mice neurons. Brainbow mice have been designed so that neurons randomly choose combinations of red, yellow, and cyan fluorescent proteins. Each one glows a specific color, which enables scientists to visualize brain circuits, explains Matho.
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