Images Dated 29th April 2003

Rose stamens showing pollen sacs

Rose stamens. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of stamens in a Garden Rose flower, Rosa sp. Stamens are the male reproductive organs of the flower. They consist of a stalk-like filament (green) and a swollen anther (yellow). The anther is made up of pollen sacs from which tiny pollen grains (the male reproductive spores) are seen emerging through a longitudinal slit (at left). The pollen grains in the rose plant are picked up by insect pollinators and spread to the female stigmas. Pollen grains contain the male gametes that fertilize the female ovule to form a seed. Many stamens are to be found in each rose flower. Magnification: x20 at 6x7cm size. Magnification: x48 at 12x16cm size

© POWER AND SYRED/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Anti-Atlas mountains

Anti-Atlas mountains, Morocco, infrared satellite image. North is at top. This is at the western end of the Anti-Atlas Mountain Range in Morocco. This image shows an area that is 28.7 x 29.4 kilometres in size. Infrared viewing reveals the geology of the area. Limestone, sandstone and gypsum (yellow, orange, green) are sedimentary rocks that were deposited under an ancient ocean. Granite rocks (dark blue/green) are also seen. The collision of Africa and Eurasia (80 million years ago) crumpled and raised the seabed into mountains. Photographed on 13 June 2001 by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) sensor, carried on board NASA's Terra satellite

© NASA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY