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Jewels Inside
13 November 2015

Jewels Inside

These sparkling jewel-like shapes are found within the human small intestine. They're actually clusters of Paneth cells, which form deep wells (known as crypts) in the lining of the gut, and are one of the main types of cells that make up this particular organ. They're packed full of tiny granules containing our body's own antibiotics – bug-killing anti-bacterial chemicals called defensins, as well as other molecules that help to boost the immune system. Together, this biological defence system helps to protect us from any bad bacteria that might try to sneak through the gut walls and infect the body. However, there's one aspect of this image that isn't true to life: although they may look beautiful in this picture, sadly Paneth cells don't have these glowing colours in real life. This image was taken down a microscope, then artificially coloured using image manipulation software to highlight the different structures.

Written by Kat Arney

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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