Images Dated 23rd September 2002

Spiders foot, SEM

Spider's foot. Coloured scanning electron micrograph of the foot of a garden orb spider (Araneus diadematus). This common spider builds a large web that it uses to catch flying insects. The arrangement of claws on its feet allows the spider to walk as easily on the sticky threads as it does on the ground. The two large grey claws (upper left) are used for walking on hard surfaces. When walking on its web, the spider traps a strand between the sharply-hooked brown claw (centre left) and the curved hairs (orange, lower left). When it releases a thread, the curved hairs push it away from the foot, preventing it sticking. Magnification: x287 at 6x7cm size

© POWER AND SYRED/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Computer artwork of human heart, abstract colours

Human heart. Computer artwork depicting a healthy human heart in abstract colours. The heart's main blood vessels are: superior vena cava (top left), aorta (arching, top centre), pulmonary arteries (upper centre right), pulmonary veins (centre right). The heart pumps blood around the body. It is made up of four chambers: those on the left side (at right on image) receive oxygenated blood from the lungs and pump it to the body through the aorta. Blood drained from the body is pumped through the right side of the heart to the lungs, through pulmonary arteries. Special conduction mechanisms in the heart muscle maintain its rhythmic pumping action

© MEHAU KULYK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY