China's Qinwen Zheng celebrates with fans after winning their second round match against Britain's Katie Boulter at the Australian Open in Melbourne on January 18, 2024. (Photo by Edgar Su/Reuters)

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)

Colombia' s Caterine Ibarguen competes in the women' s long jump during the 2018 IAAF Birmingham Diamond League athletics meeting at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham on August 18, 2018. (Photo by Peter Cziborra/Action Images via Reuters)

Miss Ireland finalists pictured as they arrived at the official launch party for Miss Ireland 2022 in association with TanOrganic, at House, Dublin on July 6, 2022. The 37 finalists vying for the coveted Miss Ireland 2022 title were revealed at a sparkling white party for this, the 75th Diamond Jubilee of the competition. (Photo by Brian McEvoy/The Irish Times)

A gallery worker poses in front of part of artist Sin Wai Kin's Turner Prize shortlisted artwork “It’s Always You” at the Tate Liverpool in Liverpool, Britain on October 18, 2022. (Photo by Phil Noble/Reuters)

Supporters of presidential candidate Gustavo Petro, with the Historical Pact coalition, celebrate after his candidate won a presidential runoff in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, June 19, 2022. (Photo by Fernando Vergara/AP Photo)

England's Marcus Smith reacts as he scores a try during the Six Nations rugby union international match between France and England at Groupama Stadium, Lyon, France, Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Photo by Laurent Cipriani/AP Photo)

Revellers at the Chin Chin music festival in Amsterdam, Netherlands on July 3, 2021. The festival season has started with a QR code, one can enter, corona proof or vaccination proof in the corona check app. (Photo by Robin Utrecht/Rex Features/Shutterstock)