Images Dated 2nd December 2005

Buddha statue, Gal Vihara, Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka

Buddha statue, Gal Vihara, Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, Northern Sri Lanka, The Ancient Cities, Polonnaruwa, Gal Vihara, long-exposure of Monk walking past the reclining Buddha, the Gal Vihara group of Buddha images, Sinhalese rock carving, p

© Gavin Hellier

Asia, Asian, Buddha Statue, Buddhism, Buddhist, Gal Vihara, Gavin Hellier, Jai, Northern Sri Lanka, Polonnaruwa, Religion, Religious, Sl01041, South Asia, Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan, The Ancient Cities, Travel, Travel Destinations, World Locations

Periodontal ligament fibres, SEM

Periodontal ligament fibres. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of periodontal ligament fibres (red). These fibres, a specialised type of connective tissue, anchor the roots of the teeth to the jaw bone. The enamel, the hard outer covering of a tooth, does not contain any sensory cells, instead the periodontal ligaments do this job. The fibres contain sensors for tension, pressure, temperature and pain. They also help to provide a cushion around the teeth that prevents compression, for example from chewing, from damaging the bone

© STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Fossilised compact bone, SEM

Fossilised compact bone. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a section through fossilised compact bone. This tissue is found in the dense walls of the shafts of bones. It consists of concentric layers of collagen- containing matrix (lamellae, pink), around Haversian canals (large holes), which contain blood and lymph vessels, and nerves. These canals run the length of the bone. The lamellae and canals together form a Haversian system, or osteon. Many systems are arranged in columns running parallel to the long axis of the bone. Mineral deposits (yellow) have collected in the lacunae (smaller holes) of the bone during fossilisation

© STEVE GSCHMEISSNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY