Images Dated 7th December 2004

Woodworm beetle in flight

Woodworm beetle (Anobium punctatum) in flight. Computer manipulated coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the woodworm beetle. This insect, also known as the furniture beetle, is the adult stage of the woodworm. Woodworm is a grub which lives for up to four years in wood, often preferring the dry, seasoned wood of human dwellings. It creates tunnels, secreting the enzyme cellulase to break down the cellulose. In its adult stage it doesn't feed, living only long enough to reproduce

© POWER AND SYRED/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Acupuncture needles

Acupuncture needles on a stone. Acupuncture is a system of healing that has been practised in Eastern medicine for thousands of years. Chinese philosophy states that our health is dependent on the smooth movement of Qi (energy) through channels under the skin. Illness arises when the components of Qi, Yin and Yang, become unbalanced. Fine needles are inserted into the channels of energy to restore the natural balance of Qi. Acupuncture is now a feature of Western complementary medicine, where it is thought to act as a stimulus for the production of endorphins in the body, which provide an analgesic effect

© SHEILA TERRY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Leaf chlorophyll deficiency

Leaf chlorophyll deficiency. Healthy leaf (left) and a leaf suffering from chlorosis (right). This is a condition where lack of chlorophyll (a green pigment found in leaves) causes a leaf to turn a pale green or yellow colour. Chlorophyll is needed by plants to produce food. Causes of chlorosis can include mineral deficiency (usually iron), damage to the plant's roots, or an alkaline soil. The last two causes prevent or reduce iron uptake from the soil. Iron is not found in chlorophyll, but is essential for its formation. Chlorosis treatment may involve adding nutrients to the plant directly or through the soil

© SHEILA TERRY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY