Each year Nikon Small World recognizes the excellence of photography taken under the microscope. The contest showcases the beauty and complexity of life. Anyone interested in microscopy and photography can enter the contest and in its 42nd year, Nikon Small World received 2,000 entries from 70 countries. Here: 1st Place; Four-day-old zebrafish embryo. (Photo by Dr. Oscar Ruiz/Nikon's Small World 2016)





2nd Place: Polished slab of Teepee Canyon agate. (Photo by Douglas L. Moore/Nikon's Small World 2016)





3rd Place: Culture of neurons (stained green) derived from human skin cells, and Schwann cells, a second type of brain cell (stained red). (Photo by Rebecca Nutbrown/Nikon's Small World 2016)





Fourth Place: Butterfly proboscis. (Photo by Jochen Schroeder/Nikon's Small World 2016)





Fifth Place: Front foot (tarsus) of a male diving beetle. (Photo by Igor Siwanowicz/Nikon's Small World 2016)





6th Place: Bubbles formed from melted ascorbic acid crystals. (Photo by Marek Mis/Nikon's Small World 2016)





Seventh Place: Leaves of Selaginella (lesser club moss). (Photo by David Maitland/Nikon's Small World 2016)





8th Place: Wildflower stamens. (Photo by Samuel Silberman/Nikon's Small World 2016)





9th Place: Espresso coffee crystals. (Photo by Vin Kitayama and Sanae Kitayama/Nikon's Small World 2016)





10th Place: Frontonia (showing ingested food, cilia, mouth and trichocysts). (Photo by Rogelio Moreno Gill/Nikon's Small World 2016)





11th Place: Scales of a butterfly wing underside (Vanessa atalanta). (Photo by Francis Sneyers/Nikon's Small World 2016)





12th Place: Human HeLa cell undergoing cell division (cytokinesis). DNA (yellow), myosin II (blue) and actin filaments (red). (Photo by Dylan Burnette/Nikon's Small World 2016)





13th Place: Poison fangs of a centipede (Lithobius erythrocephalus). (Photo by Walter Piorkowski/Nikon's Small World 2016)





14th Place: Mouse retinal ganglion cells. (Photo by Dr. Keunyoung Kim/Nikon's Small World 2016)





15th Place: Head section of an orange ladybird (Halyzia sedecimguttata). (Photo by Geir Drange/Nikon's Small World 2016)