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)

Model feebee poses as part of art installation “Dazzle room” made by artist Shigeki Matsuyama at Room 32 fashion and design exhibition in Tokyo, Friday, February 19, 2016. Matsuyama's installation features a strong contrast of black and white, which he learned from dazzle camouflage used mainly in World War I, in Tokyo, Friday, Feb. 19, 2016. (Photo by Shuji Kajiyama/AP Photo)

A rescue helicopter is shown at the Mount Everest south base camp in Nepal a day after a huge earthquake-caused avalanche killed at least 17 people, in this photo courtesy of 6summitschallenge.com taken on April 26, 2015 and released on April 27, 2015. Rescue teams, helped by clear weather, used helicopters to airlift scores of people stranded at higher altitudes, two at a time. (Photo by Reuters/6summitschallenge.com)

A fan looks at the Germany flag before the 2014 World Cup final between Germany and Argentina at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro July 13, 2014. (Photo by Darren Staples/Reuters)

A general view of atmosphere at the annual VOLT Festival in Sopron, 208 kms west of Budapest, Hungary on August 16, 2016. (Photo by Mudra László/Rockstar Photographers)

Festival goers dance during Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, near Pilton, Somerset, Britain, 23 June 2017. The outdoor festival runs from 21 to 25 June. (Photo by Nigel Roddis/EPA)

Two women jump from a platform over the water at La Concha beach during a hot summer day in the basque city of San Sebastian, northern Spain, Friday, August 3, 2018. Hot air from Africa is bringing a heat wave to Europe, prompting health warnings about Sahara Desert dust and exceptionally high temperatures that could peak at 47 degrees Celsius (117 Fahrenheit) in Spain and Portugal. (Photo by Alvaro Barrientos/AP Photo)

Ireland's Philip Mulpeter, left, is kicked by Brazilian Vitor Nobrega during their welterweight mixed martial arts bout of International Pro Combat at the Estoril Casino in Estoril, near Lisbon, Portugal, Monday, January 26, 2015. Nobrega defeated Mulpeter. (Photo by Francisco Seco/AP Photo)