BioEd Online

These are not orange starfish on the sea floor but tiny hairs on the underside of a plant's leaf. Known as trichomes, the hairs help the leaf to fend off the attentions of hungry insects and parasites.

This image, taken using a scanning electron microscope, was highly commended in the Novartis and The Daily Telegraph Visions of Science competition, the results of which were announced on 28 September. The photographer is Stephanie Schüller of the Centre for Paediatric Gastroenterology at University College London, who captured the image while teaching a student how to use the microscope.

Click here to see more winning entries.