Fungus Among Us (IMAGE)
Caption
"Fungus among us" is by James S. Waters (postdoctoral researcher).
Our bodies are ecosystems. From the bacteria in our bellies to the mites on our eyelashes, an entire frontier of unexplored diversity is living and breathing alongside and within us. The same is true for other animals as well, including ants. I photographed this microscopic view of an unidentified species of Rhizopus fungus growing on debris within a lab-reared colony of Aphaenogaster rudis seed-harvesting ants. The gossamer network of strands making up the fungal mycelium transports nutrients between spores (the brown spheres here), which helps them to reproduce. Those spores are tiny -- 64,000 times smaller than the typical ant in whose colony they share a home.
Credit
James Waters, Princeton University Art of Science Competition.
Usage Restrictions
Use for journalistic purposes only. Credit to James Waters, Princeton Art of Science Competition and link back to our website, <a target="_blank"href="http://artofsci.princeton.edu">http://artofsci.princeton.edu</a>.
License
Licensed content