From the Heart, with Love (IMAGE)
Caption
EMBARGOED UNTIL WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14th @ 00.01 A message from the heart... the moment an electron microscope revealed a 'love'-shaped blood cell. At 5,000-times magnification, the photograph shows the cell being compressed into the shape of a heart as it became trapped in the fibres of a blood clot. Fraser Macrae, a research scientist at the University of Leeds who spotted the cell during an experiment said: "Seeing the world this close up shows the wonder and beauty of the human body. "You can see structures that measure just a millionth of a millimetre. I am used to seeing amazing things but I was absolutely staggered when I saw this heart-shaped blood cell. "On Valentine's Day, it seems to be a fitting symbol to the complex ways of the heart." Fraser is the current winner of the British Heart Foundation's 'Reflections of Research' photography competition. Although blood cells are red, the electron microscope only captures colours in shades of grey. Fraser used post-production software to restore the natural colour to the blood cell. His research at the University of Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine looks at how blood clots form, a vital mechanism to stop blood loss when arteries and veins become damaged but one that can cause a stroke or heart attack if a clot forms in the wrong place. The picture was taken with a Hitachi SU8230 ultra resolution, high-performance cold-field emission scanning electron microscope.
Credit
Fraser Macrae, University of Leeds
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