Images Dated 13th March 2003

Euro bank note hologram

Euro bank note hologram. Light micrograph (LM) of part of the security hologram on a euro bank note. The hologram is of the euro symbol (blue/green) & the bank note denomination (five, orange), with a background of the word euro in the English and Greek alphabet. The euro is the currency of the euro-zone member states of the European Union, and replaced their national currencies on 1 January 2002. Security holograms are foil patches or strips added to bank notes to discourage counterfeiters. They are known as overt optically variable devices (OVD). When the bank notes are tilted the hologram's symbols change colour. Magnification: x3.4 at 35mm size

© POWER AND SYRED/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

DNA research

DNA research. DNA autoradiogram used for finding the base sequence of a segment of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). DNA is the molecule that controls the growth and development of all living things. It carries information in the form of genes, specific lengths of DNA that form recipes for body proteins. Genetic information is stored in the sequence in which four bases (adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine) are arranged along the DNA molecule. The dark bands represent the position of the bases on DNA. Every individual has a slightly different genetic code. Genetic fingerprinting such as this is used extensively in medicine, forensic science and paternity studies

© TEK IMAGE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Artwork of a cutaway view of the Suns interior

Sun structure. Cutaway artwork showing theinside of the Sun. At the centre is the core(white), the site of the Sun's nuclear reactions, which fuse hydrogen to form helium. The core is ata temperature of around 15 million Kelvin, andsome four million tonnes of material is destroyedeach second by the reactions. Above the core isthe radiative zone, where the photons produced inthe core collide with charged particles, re-radiating heat and light. Above this is theconductive zone, where hot gas (arrows) rises tothe surface to release energy before falling backto be reheated. A sunspot (dark) is seen at upperright, a cooler area on the Sun's surface

© Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library