Science Snapshot: Go Forth and Multiply

An honorable mention in the 2022 Nikon Small World in Motion competition shows thale cress sperm being released into the ovule.

Written byLisa Winter
| 1 min read
pollen tube releasing sperm into ovule
Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
1:00
Share

Even though it didn’t take home a prize, this video by Nicholas Desnoyer of the University of Zurich earned an honorable mention in the 2022 Nikon Small World in Motion competition. It looks like a wild firework show, but it’s actually an up-close view of thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana) reproduction. Synergid cells (pink) help guide pollen tubes to the flower’s ovules so sperm can be released.

Related Topics

Meet the Author

  • Lisa joined The Scientist in 2017. As social media editor, some of her duties include creating content, managing interactions, and developing strategies for the brand’s social media presence. She also contributes to the News & Opinion section of the website. Lisa holds a degree in Biological Sciences with a concentration in genetics, cell, and developmental biology from Arizona State University and has worked in science communication since 2012.

    View Full Profile
Share
You might also be interested in...
Loading Next Article...
You might also be interested in...
Loading Next Article...
Image of small blue creatures called Nergals. Some have hearts above their heads, which signify friendship. There is one Nergal who is sneezing and losing health, which is denoted by minus one signs floating around it.
June 2025, Issue 1

Nergal Networks: Where Friendship Meets Infection

A citizen science game explores how social choices and networks can influence how an illness moves through a population.

View this Issue
An illustration of green lentiviral particles.

Maximizing Lentivirus Recovery

cytiva logo
Unraveling Complex Biology with Advanced Multiomics Technology

Unraveling Complex Biology with Five-Dimensional Multiomics

Element Bioscience Logo
Resurrecting Plant Defense Mechanisms to Avoid Crop Pathogens

Resurrecting Plant Defense Mechanisms to Avoid Crop Pathogens

Twist Bio 
The Scientist Placeholder Image

Seeing and Sorting with Confidence

BD

Products

The Scientist Placeholder Image

Waters Enhances Alliance iS HPLC System Software, Setting a New Standard for End-to-End Traceability and Data Integrity 

The Scientist Placeholder Image

Agilent Unveils the Next Generation in LC-Mass Detection: The InfinityLab Pro iQ Series

agilent-logo

Agilent Announces the Enhanced 8850 Gas Chromatograph

parse-biosciences-logo

Pioneering Cancer Plasticity Atlas will help Predict Response to Cancer Therapies