Neurobiologist Igor Siwanowicz uses laser scanning confocal microscopy to capture insects and small organisms in extraordinary detail.
This imaging technique builds up high resolution 3D structures by scanning samples with a focused laser, allowing us to see anatomy that is normally invisible to the human eye.
Barnacle
Midge Pupa
His images highlight the complex adaptations that insects have developed over millions of years.
The foot of a diving beetle, for example, shows gripping hairs and pads designed for life underwater.
The tiny delicate branches of a moth antenna reveal how finely tuned these organisms are to detecting chemical signals in the air.
Paraphyses & Sporangia
Isopod appendage
What makes these images powerful is the combination of accuracy and accessibility.
They are not just visually striking, they expand our understanding of form and function at the microscopic level.
By turning scientific data into something we can see and interpret, Siwanowicz helps bridge the gap between biology and human curiosity.
“His brilliantly colored images show the tree-like structures of moth antennas, the wild details of barnacle legs, and the otherworldly shapes of plant spores. The photos are made with a confocal laser-scanning microscope capable of ‘seeing’ vast amounts of detail beyond what you might capture with a traditional lens-based microscope.”
Front leg of whirligig beetle
Moth antennae
Moth antennae, detail
Images © Igor Siwanowicz. Courtesy of Howard Hughes Medical Center. CC BY-NC 4.0 license
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