07/15/2025
This isn’t a sci-fi alien. It’s a real tapeworm head under a microscope.
A 200x look at the parasite that can invade your brain.
At 200x magnification, this striking image reveals the everted scolex—the "head"—of a Taenia solium tapeworm, a parasite known for infecting the human digestive system.
Captured by Teresa Zgoda, the photo won 4th place in the 2017 Nikon Small World competition, which celebrates the beauty and complexity of the microscopic world. The scolex, armed with hooks and suckers, is how the tapeworm latches onto its host's intestinal walls—an unsettling reminder of the hidden biology behind parasitic infections.
Taenia solium, also known as the pork tapeworm, can cause serious health issues, including cysticercosis—a condition where larvae invade tissues such as the brain, muscles, or eyes.
Though disturbing, images like this are crucial for science and education, offering an up-close view of organisms that impact global health. Zgoda’s detailed and artful microscopy brings attention not just to the parasite, but to the powerful tools and researchers illuminating the unseen.
Source: Nikon Small World, 2017 Photomicrography Competition