Photomicrographer James E. Hayden, RBP has been a consistent winner of the Small World competition for many years. Featured below is a photomicrograph of a rete testis specimen taken with modified darkfield illumination.

Mouse Seminiferous Tubule at the Rete Testis Original Magnification: 46.7x Specimen: X-gal stained wet mount Technique: Modified Darkfield

As with the rat tubules, darkfield illumination combined with a little shadowing makes this seminiferous tubule entering the rete testis appear similar to a tornado. If that interpretation doesn't interest you, the value of seeing the location of the blue-stained cells in the different parts of the structure was of primary importance in this image.