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Highly commended

 

"Starfish" on a leaf

Dr Stephanie Schüller

 

These are not orange starfish on a rocky seabed, but tiny star-shaped hairs on the underside of a plant’s leaf. These projections, called trichomes, have a protective function. They can help to stop
insects from feeding on the leaf and also prevent excessive water loss.

JEOL JSM-5300 scanning electron microscope. Coloured using Adobe Photoshop 5.5