TOP 10 SCIENCE PICTURES OF THE YEAR -2006

1.This image of a peppercorn and a grain of salt taken by David McCarthy is the overall winner (and close-up category winner) in this year's Visions of Science Photographic Awards. The competition is sponsored by Novartis and The Daily Telegraph. (© David McCarthy)






2.A tiny shrimp fearlessly enters the mouth of a fish to clean its teeth. Fish value this service as the shrimp removes and eats harmful parasites. (© Jim Greenfield)






3.A clinical skills tutor holds a pile of prosthetic arms. The arms are used to help medical students learn valuable techniques, in this case the insertion of a cannula, a tube used for draining or introducing fluids. (© Amanda Rebbechi)






4.Representation of panspermia - a theory that the seeds of life are found throughout the Universe, and that life arose on Earth when such seeds landed here early in geological history. The image shows eggs shattering and releasing smaller eggs. (© John Brackenbury)






5.Films of supersaturated solutions can have crystallization initiated by any disturbance. This black rectangular outline has been scratched out to make a border in which these paracetamol crystals can grow. (© Spike Walker )






6.The surface tension of water supports a metal paperclip. By photographing it using a grille in front of the light source, the deformation of the water around the clip can be seen. ( ©Robert Anderson






7.Cancer cells can spread through the body in a process known as metastasis. This cancer cell is moving down a pore in a filter. The image was taken at Cancer Research UK, where the spread of cancer is studied in the hope of finding a cure. ( ©Anne Weston )






8.Migraine attacks can cause a variety of visual symptoms (aura) as well as the notorious stabbing head pain. This is a representation of a barn seen during an attack, painted by an artist and migraine sufferer. ( ©Debbie Ayles )






9.The fine cellular structure of the stem of a sunflower is revealed here, including red vascular areas and blue supportive tissue. This systematic regularity contrasts with the sweeping outline of the butterfly. ( ©Rachel Shillcock)






10.An eye studies a self-contained ecosystem in which every organism feeds on another, or its waste products. All this sealed globe needs to sustain it is light, so that the plant can produce oxygen. It is like a mini-Earth. ( ©Maximillian Schneider)