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)

Pals let their hair down for one last hoorah in Cardiff, capital of Wales on September 12, 2020. Groups of friends crammed into pubs and restaurants to “go out in style” before the “rule of six” is enforced on Monday. (Photo by Huw Evans Picture Agency/The Sun)

British tourist participates in a crab race at the annual Tobago Heritage Festival, at Buccoo Integrated Facility, in Tobago island, Trinidad and Tobago on July 29, 2018. (Photo by Andrea De Silva/EPA/EFE)

A rabbit fails to jump over an obstacle during a rabbit track and field competition on the sidelines of a hunting exhibition in Kromeriz, about 60 km east of Prague, on April 1, 2017. Circa 100 rabbits took part in the competition, including disciplines as long jump, high jump and running on a flat track. (Photo by Radek Mica/AFP Photo)

A man sits next to a damaged idol of Hindu goddess Kali which was taken out after its immersion in the river Ganges in Haridwar, India, March 29, 2017. (Photo by Danish Siddiqui/Reuters)

A jogger is seen running at Hampstead Heath with London in the background on June 1, 2021. Britain sees temperatures increasing for the second day in a row after the mercury hit 25C (77 Fahrenheit) for the warmest day of the year so far on Bank Holiday Monday. (Photo by Joshua Bratt/London News Pictures)

A monkey tries to quenche its thirst from a water tap on a hot summer day in Prayagraj on May 20, 2023. (Photo by Sanjay Kanojia/AFP Photo)

Spain's rider Fermin Aldeguer, foreground, leads as Spains rider Manuel Gonzalez Simon falls during Moto2 class race of the MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit in Sepang, Malaysia Sunday, November 12, 2023. (Photo by Vincent Thian/AP Photo)