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Emil von Behring (1854-1917)

Cilia and flagella both have this structure at their core which is known as the axoneme. Each axoneme is composed of a circular arrangement of nine pairs of microtubules around a single pair in the centre. This is commonly called the 9 + 2 arrangement. Several other proteins are associated with the microtubules and either hold the axoneme together or control the sliding of the paired microtubules past each other. This sliding causes the bending movements of the cilla.

Structure of a cilium - digitally enhanced

guinea pig cochlea, showing outer hair cells.

Scanning electron micrograph of organ of Corti from a

Colour-enhanced view of rows of basal bodies. Each basal body is composed of nine, overlapping tripets of microtubules held together by other proteins. In the basal bodies to the lower left of the image, faint radial protein spokes can be seen connecting the microtubules to a central core. Basal bodies form the base of eucaryotic cilia and flagella. They are essentially structurally the same as centrioles. The diameter of each basal body is 200 nanometres.

Basal bodies in cross section

Light micrograph showing a transverse (cross) section of a cat cerebellum. The cerebellum gates its name from the latin for 'little brain' it is the smaller structure at the lower region of the brain and is mostly accosiated with movement and motor control. It is characterised by the multiple grooves on its surface, the large surface area is displayed clearly in this cross section.

Cat cerebellum transverse section

Bristletail

Sir Philip Crampton's memorial in Dublin

Light micrograph showing chick embryo early in development. At this stage of embryogenesis the body plan is being laid down and the neural tube can be observed as the long structure forming the head to tail axis. The small modular structures running down the neural tube are somites, which are regions of mesodermal tissue that will go on to form skin, skeletal muscle and the vertebrae of the embryo.

Chick embryo

Colour-enhanced image of a mitochondrion showing the internal membranes (cristae) and enzyme complexes.

Mitochondrion

A scanning electron micrograph of the inside of
a guinea pig inner ear showing the hearing organ,
or cochlea. Running along the spiral structure are
rows of sensory cells which respond to different
frequencies of sound. The whole organ is just a
few millimeters long. Biomedical Image Awards 1997.

Cochlea of the inner ear

Proximal convoluted tubule from the kidney.
Several cells surround the lumen of the tubule
which is lined with microvilli. All the cells are
packed with mitochondria and a nucleus (brown) is
visible within one of the cells. This a colour-
enhanced scanning electron micrograph of a freeze-
fractured sample.

Kidney - proximal convoluted tubule

Freeze fracture electron micrograph of a synapse
showing the pre-synaptic terminal (centre right)
filled with vesicles of neurotransmitter (blue)
making contact with the post-synaptic target cell
(centre left).

Synapse showing neurotransmitter vesicles

(cristae) are visible and are covered with enzyme complexes involved in the conversion of metabolites into energy. This a colour-enhanced, scanning electron micrograph of a freeze-fractured
sample.

An isolated mitochondrion fractured to reveal the internal structure. The internal membranes

Three mitochondria (blue) fractured to reveal the
internal structure. The internal membranes
(cristae) are visible and are covered with enzyme
complexes involved in the conversion of
metabolites into energy. The surrounding cytoplasm
is shown in gold. This a colour-enhanced,
scanning electron micrograph of a freeze-fractured
sample.

Three mitochondria surrounded by cytoplasm

Bundles of stereocilia in the vestibular organ. This is part of the organ of balance in the inner ear. As the head moves, fluid flows over the hairs causing them to bend. This distortion sends signals to the brain which in turn can tell the muscles to make any necessary compensating movements.

Stereocilia in the vestibular organ

The muscles of the left leg, seen from the front, and the bones and muscles of the right leg seen in right profile, and between them, a patella. Drawing by Michelangelo Buonarotti, c. 1515-1520.

The muscles of the leg

Colour-enhanced image showing the stacked membrane discs of the Golgi complex. The Golgi is the area within a cell where many carbohydrates are synthesised, which can be used to modify proteins that pass through the Golgi on the way to other parts of the cell. Biomedical Image Awards 2005.

Golgi complex

Portrait of George Cleghorn

Transmission electron micrograph of collagen fibres. Collagen is a protein found only in animals and is the main componant of connective tissue. It is also found in fibrous tissue in long bundles, the structure of which can be seen in this image.

collagen

Scanning electron microscope images of sensory
hair bundles in hair cells from the cochlea, or
hearing organ in the inner ear. Top left is an
outer hair cell from a guinea pig cochlea, while
bottom left shows an inner hair cell. On the
right is a terrapin hair cell. Vibrations made by
sound cause the hairs to move, stimulating
impulses in the auditory nerve to the brain.

Hair cells of inner ear

Scanning electron micrograph showing the surface detail of a Marine diatom. Diatoms are single celled algae that live in most aquatic environments, both fresh and salt water. They are non-motile and are restricted to shallow waters as they require sunlight for photosythesis. Diatoms are usually between 2 and 200 microns in diameter, have a hard shell and often display a natural symmetry.

Marine diatom

A scanning electron micrograph of the inside of
a guinea pig inner ear showing the hearing organ,
or cochlea (left). Along the spiral structure is
the Organ of corti (right) that contains rows of
sensory hair cells which respond to different
frequencies of sound. The cells send impulses
along the auditory nerve to the brain.

Degeneration of outer hair cells in old age. The outer hair cells are responsible for fine tuning and amplifying the sounds that are detected by the inner hair cells. This age-related degeneration of hair cells is responsible for the hearing loss often associated with aging.

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Emil von Behring (1854-1917)

Structure of a cilium - digitally enhanced

Scanning electron micrograph of organ of Corti from a

Basal bodies in cross section

Cat cerebellum transverse section

Bristletail

Sir Philip Crampton's memorial in Dublin

Chick embryo

Mitochondrion

Cochlea of the inner ear

Kidney - proximal convoluted tubule

Synapse showing neurotransmitter vesicles

An isolated mitochondrion fractured to reveal the internal structure. The internal membranes

Three mitochondria surrounded by cytoplasm

Stereocilia in the vestibular organ

The muscles of the leg

Golgi complex

Portrait of George Cleghorn

collagen

Hair cells of inner ear

Marine diatom

Cochlea of the inner ear

Hair cells in the cochlea damaged by old age

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Emil von Behring (1854-1917)

Structure of a cilium - digitally enhanced

Scanning electron micrograph of organ of Corti from a

Basal bodies in cross section

Cat cerebellum transverse section

Bristletail

Sir Philip Crampton's memorial in Dublin

Chick embryo

Mitochondrion

Cochlea of the inner ear

Kidney - proximal convoluted tubule

Synapse showing neurotransmitter vesicles

An isolated mitochondrion fractured to reveal the internal structure. The internal membranes

Three mitochondria surrounded by cytoplasm

Stereocilia in the vestibular organ

The muscles of the leg

Golgi complex

Portrait of George Cleghorn

collagen

Hair cells of inner ear

Marine diatom

Cochlea of the inner ear

Hair cells in the cochlea damaged by old age

Stay in the know

Wellcome collectionWellcome Collection

Finding us:

Opening times:

Today's opening times

Wellcome collection