Cucurbita maxima 'Golden Hubbard'

Cross-section through a bamboo stem, LM

HeLa cell, immortal human epithelial cancer cell line, SEM

Varicose Veins, Legs. Female. Illustrated with thermography

Mitochondria network

Formation of the inner mass in an early mouse embryo, LM

Clonal tracking, mouse fibroblasts

Ambulance on route to an emergency call out, UK.

Thigh bones (femora) from Japanese quail, micro-CT

Paeonia suffruticosa 'Bai Yu'

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Hand-drawn illustration depicting a lady sitting on a chair talking to a therapist during a counselling session. Positive (yellow) and negative (blue) thoughts are depicted on the faces of the people in her thoughts.


One individual suffering from social anxiety disorder said: "I have had therapy in the form of counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), but as it was government funded it was time limited. The counselling helped me realise that what happened to me was not my fault and the reasons why my social anxiety is so severe, but it hasn't helped with getting past it."



This image is part of a communication design project on social anxiety disorder which aims to show anxiety as it is experienced in everyday life: where the anxiety comes from, what it feels like and what people have tried to do to overcome it.

Counselling for social anxiety disorder, illustration

False-coloured scanning electron micrograph of a HeLa cell which is displaying some blebbing. These blebs or ruffles visible on the surface of the cell are local bulges which form in the plasma membrane when it temporarily detaches from the underlying cytoskeleton. Cell blebbing is important for a variety of cellular processes including cell movement and cell division. HeLa cells are an immortal human epithelial cell line derived from a cancerous tumour of the cervix (adenocarcinoma). It was established in 1951 from a biopsy taken from Henrietta Lacks and was the first human cell line to survive and grow in the laboratory. Henrietta's cells were originally used in this way without permission from her or her family which raises issues about ethics and privacy. HeLa cells have been used extensively around the world in many different fields of research including cancer research, immunology and vaccine development. Width of image is 32 micrometres.

Hand-drawn illustration using ink and watercolour on paper. 'Sick!' depicts a female patient leaning forward over a bowl, throwing up an assortment of items including tablets, pills and syringes. A yellow arrow indicates the path the objects take.



Following hip-replacement surgery, the artist recorded her experiences and emotions during her post-operative recovery. One of the most inconvenient and humiliating experiences was the frequent vomiting, which came as a side-effect of the pain relieving drugs administered after surgery.

Vomiting and sickness, artwork

Sequence of the gene CCR5 Delta 32 in acrylic paint on polyester taffeta. The CCR5 gene produces the CCR5 receptor protein which normally inserts into the cell membrane. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infects human cells by attaching to 2 cell membrane proteins, CD4 and CCR5. The CCR5 Delta 32 mutation consists of a 32 base-pair deletion which introduces a premature stop signal. This results in a shorter protein with a non-functional receptor. Therefore, HIV is not able to properly attach to the CCR5 receptor and gain entry to the cell, meaning people who have the mutant gene are resistant to developing AIDs. Nearly 20% of the population in Europe has either one or two copies of the mutant gene, which has been traced back 2000 years to a single mutation amongst Vikings in Northern Europe. Those who had the mutation were protected from infection by viruses such as small pox, and survived plagues better than those with the normal CCR5 gene, which explains how the mutation has become so prevalent in a relatively short time. In 2009, scientists in Berlin reported the first, and only, individual to be cured of HIV. The treatment involved a bone marrow transplant from a donor with the CCR5 Delta 32 mutation. 



This image is a photo of 2 large banners each painted with the normal CCR5 sequence (left hand of the stripe) laid next to the CCR5 Delta 32 mutation sequence (right hand of the stripe). The four building blocks, or bases, of DNA are represented by four different colours: yellow (adenine), purple (cytosine), green (guanine) and orange (thymine). The banner on the left shows the genetic mutation in situ; the 32 base-pair deletion can be seen in the middle of the gene. The banner on the right shows the resulting gene product. The effect of the mutation can be seen clearly, indicated by the contrasting colours and the shortened (truncated) gene. The banners are around 3m in height.

DNA sequence of CCR5 Delta 32 gene mutation

Differential interference contrast (DIC) micrograph of a longitudinal section of a cat tongue. This sample is from a vintage prepared slide from the period 1870 - 1905. A single rasping papilla (backward facing spine on a cat's tongue) typical of a carnivore can be seen, together with some of the underlying muscle structure.

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Images

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Counselling for social anxiety disorder, illustration

HeLa cell, immortal human epithelial cancer cell line, SEM

Vomiting and sickness, artwork

DNA sequence of CCR5 Delta 32 gene mutation

Cat tongue, longitudinal section

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Wellcome uses cookies.

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Images

Works

Counselling for social anxiety disorder, illustration

HeLa cell, immortal human epithelial cancer cell line, SEM

Vomiting and sickness, artwork

DNA sequence of CCR5 Delta 32 gene mutation

Cat tongue, longitudinal section

Wellcome Collection

Today’s opening times