However it was this picture of a arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress) anther that won the coveted title. Paves from Tallinn University used a 20X zoom to caputre the illumated photo. The anther is where pollen is produced.

On winning the prize, Paves said: "I am honoured to receive this recognition and I'm excited for the opportunity to share my work broadly."

Take a look at the full collection, including 137 pictures from this year as well as notable entires from as far back as 1977 at the Nikon Small World website.