Images Dated 6th August 1998

Coloured SEM of laptop screen foil surface

Laptop screen foil. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the surface of a brightness- enhancing foil used to make laptop personal computer screens look brighter. The principle is the same as that by which the tiny individual scales (one seen in orange) on a butterfly's wings make the wing as a whole look bright and shiny. Light is reflected from the tiny grooves between the blue and green ridges. Laptop computers are designed to be compact and portable, and do not have much room for screen projection hardware. The lightweight foil is a simple way to improve the image without adding any new electronics. Magnification: x200 at 6x7cm size

© VOLKER STEGER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Coloured SEM of uterus wall (early proliferation)

Uterus (early proliferation). Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the endometrium (lining) of the human uterus during the early proliferative stage of the menstrual cycle. The cells of the endometrium are not clearly defined, but their cilia (light green) and secretory microvilli (blue & dark green) can be seen. The uterine lining builds up during early/late proliferation (the first 14 days of the cycle) to prepare for pregnancy. Then an egg is released and the lining becomes secretory to nourish the embryo. If no pregnancy occurs, the endometrium breaks down at menstruation after 28 days. Magnification unknown

© STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY