Menstrual blood, artwork title "Fist"

Menstrual blood, artwork title "Slow Dance"

Menstrual blood, artwork title "Red Dress 2"

Synthetic DNA channel transporting cargo across membranes

Menstrual blood, artwork title "Drippy"

Menstrual blood, artwork title "The Ribbon Rose"

Menstrual blood, artwork title "Ribbon 1"

Situs inversus, illustration

Menstrual blood, artwork title "Floral 1"

Menstrual blood, artwork title "Untitled #47"

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Photograph of blood from the menstrual phase of a woman's monthly menstrual cycle (menstruation or menstrual period). The menstrual cycle is regulated by hormones secreted from the pituitary gland (follicle stimulating hormone, FSH, and luteinising hormone, LH), which control the production of other hormones (oestrogen and progesterone) in the ovaries. During the menstrual phase levels of oestrogen and progesterone fall which cause the lining of the uterus (endometrium) to be shed. 



This image is one in a series of images which have been created as part of a conceptual art project "Beauty in Blood" which aesthetically examines female menstrual blood. To create these images, menstrual fluid was collected in a menstrual cup and then introduced into fresh water in a clean toilet bowl. Using the toilet bowl as a canvas, menstrual fluid is poured, dripped and drizzled into the water to create intricate designs which are then photographed.

Side view of connections in the brain of a healthy 29 year old female human as interpreted by Google's Deep Dream software. The brain is viewed as if looking through the head from a person's right ear. The front of the brain is facing the right side of the image and the back of the brain is on the left. This image was created by first visualising nerve fibres in the brain using diffusion imaging tractography. The resulting image was then passed through Google's Deep Dream software. Diffusion weighted imaging is a specialised type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan which measures water diffusion in many directions in order to reconstruct the orientation of bundles of axons. Tractography is used to indirectly model these bundles of axons (nerve fibres), which transmit information between cortical regions at the brain's surface. The brain measures approximately 18 cm from front to back.

Healthy adult human brain viewed from the side, deep dream

Artist's interpretation of designer DNA channels which selectively transport cargo through a biological membrane. In this 3D model, cargo (e.g. medication or drugs) is shown as coloured spheres, while the mirrored coils represent six DNA double helices which form the channel through which the cargo passes. Inside a cell, these channels are made from membrane proteins that act as gatekeepers to control molecule transport across cell membranes. Researchers are using DNA as a building material to make synthetic channels that mimic these membrane proteins. These DNA nanostructures are much easier to manipulate and are being engineered for use in vaccines, biofuels, biosensors and as research tools. Width of image represents less than 1.3 nanometres.

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Abstract

Images

Catalogue

Menstrual blood, artwork title "Red Dress 2"

Healthy adult human brain viewed from the side, deep dream

Synthetic DNA channel transporting cargo across membranes

Menstrual blood, artwork title "The Ribbon Rose"

Menstrual blood, artwork title "Floral 1"

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Wellcome uses cookies.

Abstract

Images

Catalogue

Menstrual blood, artwork title "Red Dress 2"

Healthy adult human brain viewed from the side, deep dream

Synthetic DNA channel transporting cargo across membranes

Menstrual blood, artwork title "The Ribbon Rose"

Menstrual blood, artwork title "Floral 1"

Wellcome Collection

Today’s opening times