Beautiful, strange and occasionally alarming pictures from the shortlist for this year’s Wellcome image awards – which celebrate the very best in science photography and imaging – from an x-ray of a bat to a micrograph of a kidney stone. The exhibition opens on 12 March at three science centres and the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. Photo: Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of an Arabidopsis thaliana flower, also commonly known as thale cress. Some of the anthers are open, revealing pollen grains ready for dispersal. Arabidopsis was the first plant to have its entire genome sequenced and is widely used as a model organism in molecular and plant biology. Horizontal width of image is 1200 microns. Magnification 100x. (Photo by Stefan Eberhard/Wellcome Images)

Mayu adjusts Koiku’s kimono, as Koiku wears a protective face mask while posing for a photograph, before they work at a party where they will entertain with other geisha at Japanese luxury restaurant Asada in Tokyo, Japan, June 23, 2020. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)

American model, fashion influencer and social media personality Olivia Culpo shows underboob while celebrating New York Fashion Week on September 8, 2022. (Photo by oliviaculpo/Instagram)

American socialite, media personality and former model Kylie Jenner in the last decade of April 2023 was back in black for some new photos. (Photo by kyliejenner/Instagram)

British singer-songwriter Rita Ora early May 2024 makes an eye-catching face as she promotes “The Masked Singer”, where she’s a judge. (Photo by Rita Ora/Instagram)

A face mask is placed on one of the 'Three business men who brought lunch' statues on Swanston street on March 29, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. All international arrivals into Australia from midnight on Saturday will be placed into mandatory quarantine in hotels for 14 days as the Federal Government increases restrictions to stop the spread of COVID-19. (Photo by Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)

American rapper Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, known professionally as Cardi B in the last decade of October 2022 says she's giving “you a*s, hair and heels”. (Photo by iamcardib/Instagram)

The ex-Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger climbed 1,000-plus steps of an old Honolulu railway line in Hawaii in the first decade of January 2023. (Photo by Instagram)