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title: See the Human Body Under a Microscope
description: The new book &#x27;Science is Beautiful&#x27; shows how the human body can be beautiful even in minute detail
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article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:05:51.103Z
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![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltecce84a6340ded46/69877d992dce019ff29dd5c7/serotonin-crystals-microscopic-human-body.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9)


# See the Human Body Under a Microscope

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by 

[TIME Photo](https://time.com/author/time-photo/)


## TIME Photo


Feb 5, 2015 5:47 PM UTC

![<b>Serotonin crystals</b> \(polarized light micrograph\)](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltecce84a6340ded46/69877d992dce019ff29dd5c7/serotonin-crystals-microscopic-human-body.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=3:2)

Serotonin crystals (polarized light micrograph)

Serotonin crystals (polarized light micrograph) Reprinted with permission from Science is Beautiful © 2014 by Batsford, an imprint of Pavilion Books Company Limited

by 

[TIME Photo](https://time.com/author/time-photo/)


## TIME Photo


Feb 5, 2015 5:47 PM UTC

![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt43cbb1f3976afa25/69877dda35ba6f0afcc06ed4/science-is-beautiful-cover.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

'Science is Beautiful'

The new book ‘Science is Beautiful’ shows how the human body can be alluring even in minutia.

![<b>Adrenaline crystals </b>\(polarized light micrographs\)](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb64fafd8056bf2a8/69877da9e53aba39a64d7697/adrenaline-crystals-microscopic-human-body.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Adrenaline crystals (polarized light micrographs) Reprinted with permission from Science is Beautiful © 2014 by Batsford, an imprint of Pavilion Books Company Limited

![<b>Balancing stone from inner ear</b> \(colored scanning electron micrograph\)](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3356dd7dcbbd73c1/69877da9f887dc843ce89f06/balancing-stone-inner-ear-microscopic-human-body.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Balancing stone from inner ear (colored scanning electron micrograph) Reprinted with permission from Science is Beautiful © 2014 by Batsford, an imprint of Pavilion Books Company Limited

![Blood clot \(coloured scanning electron micrograph\)](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7cd16c24a8e3631e/69877da955a85902a3a85a46/blood-clot-microscopic-human-body.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Blood clot (colored scanning electron micrograph) Reprinted with permission from Science is Beautiful © 2014 by Batsford, an imprint of Pavilion Books Company Limited

![<b>Breast cancer</b> \(light micrograph\)](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt471edb7092bb59eb/69877da9f887dc49e6e89f0a/breast-cancer-microscopic-human-body.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Breast cancer (light micrograph) Reprinted with permission from Science is Beautiful © 2014 by Batsford, an imprint of Pavilion Books Company Limited


![<b>Insulin crystals</b> \(polarized light micrograph\)](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb3919d5a88b82d6f/69877daa524fc0f5e4dec4f3/insulin-crystals-microscopic-human-body.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Insulin crystals (polarized light micrograph) Reprinted with permission from Science is Beautiful © 2014 by Batsford, an imprint of Pavilion Books Company Limited

![<b>Melatonin crystals</b> \(polarized light micrograph\)](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0ef3430ce5ed8dcc/69877daa2dce01a79b9dd5d9/melatonin-crystals-microscopic-human-body.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Melatonin crystals (polarized light micrograph) Reprinted with permission from Science is Beautiful © 2014 by Batsford, an imprint of Pavilion Books Company Limited

![<b>Penicillium fungus</b> \(colored scanning electron micrograph\)](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt34e3dfc1e57d4b60/69877d99cd6848cf8609984c/penicillium-fungus-microscopic-human-body.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Penicillium fungus (colored scanning electron micrograph) Reprinted with permission from Science is Beautiful © 2014 by Batsford, an imprint of Pavilion Books Company Limited


![<b>Serotonin crystals</b> \(polarized light micrograph\)](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltecce84a6340ded46/69877d992dce019ff29dd5c7/serotonin-crystals-microscopic-human-body.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Serotonin crystals (polarized light micrograph) Reprinted with permission from Science is Beautiful © 2014 by Batsford, an imprint of Pavilion Books Company Limited

![<b>Vaginal cancer cells</b> \(colored scanning electron micrograph\)](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt50c4fffe2491ec1d/69877d9a524fc00bc2dec4dc/vaginal-cancer-cells-microscopic-human-body.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Vaginal cancer cells (colored scanning electron micrograph) Reprinted with permission from Science is Beautiful © 2014 by Batsford, an imprint of Pavilion Books Company Limited

![<b>Ventolin crystals</b> \(colred scanning electron micrographs\)](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt157c9cb4620c45ee/69877d9ae20a87e28ba84edf/ventolin-crystals-microscopic-human-body.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp)

Ventolin crystals (colred scanning electron micrographs) Reprinted with permission from Science is Beautiful © 2014 by Batsford, an imprint of Pavilion Books Company Limited

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