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)

Little owl chicks in Northumberland, UK on August 19, 2018. Strutting up and down and barrelling through the air, these Little Owl chicks will soon be fending for themselves. The intense little birds were snapped by wildlife photographer Bill Doherty in his native Northumberland. The chicks have about seven or eight weeks to learn their survival skills before their parents drive them away to fend for themselves. (Photo by Bill Doherty/South West News Service)

Cambridge policemen, known as “Bulldogs”, lined up for the University Bulldogs Chase, dressed in morning coats and top hats, 7th March 1936. (Photo by H. Allen/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images)

An alpaca chewing a leaf is pictured on November 18, 2014 in the zoo of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. (Photo by Frank Rumpenhorst/AFP Photo/DPA)

“Spare bits = spare bots. Time on hands + obsession with uselessness = make trivial things. Made from capacitors, diodes, resistors, leds, bits of wire, solder, and time...” – Lenny & Meriel. Photo: “9V tragedy”. (Photo by Lenny&Meriel)

John Hawkley and his wife Patty Hawkley stand next to their 2,058 pound pumpkin and celebrate after winning the 41st Annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off on October 13, 2014 in Half Moon Bay, California. John Hawkley of Napa, California won the 41st Annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off and broke a state record with his gigantic pumpkin weighing in at 2,085 pounds. Hawkley took home a cash prize of $12,510, or $6.00 a pound. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Janet Layug walks off stage during the Bikini International competition at the Greater Columbus Convention Center during the Arnold Sports Festival 2017 on March 4, 2017 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

A Palestinian horseman rides on the beach at sunset a few hours prior to the new year's celebrations, west of in Gaza city on December 31, 2018. (Photo by Mahmud Hams/AFP Photo)