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There are many things that look amazing, mysterious or beautiful under the microscope, but there are few things that beat a close-up look at life emerging.
Some of the winning images in this year's Nikon's Small World photomicrography contest capture some of the first moments inside the eggs of animals including starfish and butterflies.
I was lucky enough to be one of the judges for this year's competition, and among the most memorable of the 2,200 entries were images of the first few cells at the very beginning of an organism's life. I've gathered some of the best photomicrographs of these early moments in this gallery.
The order of all the winning images won't be revealed until Oct. 13, but in the meantime, you can [choose your favorite](http://www.nikonsmallworld.com/vote) and help determine the winner of the public vote.
Mouse Embryo Stem Cells Surrounded by *Trophectoderm* Cells
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Juan Carlos Izpisúa, Centre de Medicina Regenerativa de Barcelona
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