Life captured through a lens always commands a certain amount of intrigue; however, these pictures let you explore a world as you've never seen it before.  

Taking different items, from everyday objects to the more exotic, these photographers showcase the beauty and complexity of life as seen through the light microscope for the Nikon Small World competition.

Now in its 35th year, the Nikon photomicrographer entries make critically important scientific contributions to life sciences, bio-research and materials science. Here are the top 20winners.

Sarfaty from Israel took this very different look at a rusty old coin with a 40X zoom.

Israel Veterinary Association, photo courtesy of Nikon Small World.