Diatoms: Microphotographs by Paul Hargreaves and Faye Darling (16 photos)
The objects presented in these amazing photographs may seem alien, but, in fact, they are all greatly enlarged cells of living organisms - diatoms. Oceanographer Paul Hargreaves used an electron microscope to photograph the creatures, and artist Fay Darling retouched the images using special computer programs.
1. This photo may look like Salvador Dali's "The Face of Mae West," but it's actually an electron microscope shot of a type of diatom, a tiny, single-celled sea creature invisible to the naked eye.
2. This is a photograph of a dinoflagellate - we see the dorsal part of the algae Protoceratium reticulatum..
3. Dr Paul Hargreaves and Fay Darling named this dinoflagellate "MiroMira2", although they look more like a pair of cupcakes.
4. And this creature looks like an iron steamer, although the authors called this photo “Gem Tibet.”
5. Here is another image taken using an electron microscope and computer retouching, which shows a diatomaceous algae.
6. Dr. Paul Hargreavers and Fay Darling named this image “Peanut Opal.”
7. They dubbed this photograph “The Blue Turtle.”
8. “Twin Crowns.”
9. The authors dubbed this creature “Crooked Leg.”
10. Specially colored cell of diatoms of the genus Entomoneis.
11. Images of dinoflagellates. Outbreaks of their population often lead to the appearance of “red tides”.
12. Structure of combined dinaflogillate and diatom.
13. Amoeba.
14. Structure called “Wind Rose”.
15. Diatom is a type of algae or phytoplankton that typically has an average size of about 50.8 micrometers. These little creatures existed long before dinosaurs appeared.
16. Ibridian.
