The Wellcome Collection's Best Science Photography Of 2012

Caffeine Crystals Captured in false-color scanning electron micrography, these caffeine crystals are just 40 microns in length. ANNIE CAVANAGH AND DAVID MCCARTHY via Wellcome Images

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Wellcome Images owns one of the most amazing collections of scientific imagery--mostly pertaining to the medical and biological sciences--spanning everything from scanning electron micrography to X-rays to conventional photographs of things the average photog doesn’t often come across (like the inside of the human cranium). And once a year, the Wellcome Image Awards take the cream off the top of this incredibly rich collection, pooling the best new images in medical and bio-science in one place.

Winners are selected based on both scientific merit and artistic appeal, though aesthetics certainly seem to be front and center when scrolling through the complete collection of 16 winning images. These images bring viewers face to face with moth flies, miniscule caffeine crystals, and very, very young chickens--cancer cells, cell division, and lavender leaves.

Click though the gallery link above for a quick spin through a few of our favorites. The complete list of winners can be found at The Wellcome Collection’s site (or on display at Wellcome’s brick and mortar headquarters in London through the end of the year.

[Wellcome Images]