NATURE
This critter’s spooky appearance
may bring to mind the sinister
Cybermen, Doctor Who’s
automaton adversaries, but fear
not, it is actually a harmless
zebrafish embryo. And at only
four days old and 1.4mm long, it’s
unlikely to harbour any plans of
taking over the human race.
In fact, zebrafish embryos
are fantastically helpful tools for
biomedical scientists. They are
inexpensive, easy to manipulate
genetically, and develop quickly.
“The zebrafish started out as a
favourite among developmental
biologists, but it is becoming ever
more popular in genetics and
neuroscience labs,” says Annie
Cavanagh of the UCL School of
Pharmacy, who helped prepare
this picture. “They are also used
as a valuable tool for cancer
research, since zebrafish have
been found to develop almost
any human tumour type.”
So, far from being a threat to
world civilisation, these miniscule
water creatures actually assist us
in tackling some of the greatest
horrors facing mankind.PHOTO: ANNIE CAVANAGH/ WELLCOME
TRUSTCyberfish