Flight Muscle Mitochondria by Odra Noel

Flight Muscle Mitochondria by Odra Noel

Odra Noel  

This work is one of a very few non-human tissues that I have created. Flight muscle is the most powerful type of muscle, to cope with the aerobic demands of flying the balance of muscle fibres and mitochondria has to be optimal. Here we see flight muscle from a bird in a transverse cut

The Origin of Life I by Odra Noel

The Origin of Life I by Odra Noel

Odra Noel  

Soupers versus venters. I am in the venters camp, therefore I don’t draw warm prehistoric seas and call them origin of life pictures. This is an ideal representation of a hydrothermal vent with more complex and sophisticated structures distributed on the periphery; upwards and outwards. Initially done for a cover of a scientific journal, eventually a different image was chosen (little fleas inside other fleas…)

The End of a Cell – Apoptosis II by Odra Noel

The End of a Cell – Apoptosis II by Odra Noel

Odra Noel  

I have done several versions of the apoptotic cell. This one almost killed me. Don’t frame large pictures with glass and hang them over a bed. They do look lovely, but the nail may fail in the middle of the night. An apoptotic cell is a restless cell. It may have moved, or it may have been me moving.

Mitochondria in Action Series by Odra Noel

Mitochondria in Action Series by Odra Noel

Odra Noel  

The original mitochondria in action is now stuck to the wall in University Colleague London. It works very well in ties, and there are currently three in the whole world. They are extremely loud, but surprisingly, mitochondrial scientists, not normally known for bright ties, do like them a lot.

Historical Wallin Preparations by Odra Noel

Historical Wallin Preparations by Odra Noel

Odra Noel  

This is one of the images belonging to a series of historical mitochondrial works. I find the early biologists and microscope pioneers views, descriptions, drawings and photos extremely charming. I pride myself on the fact that my art is informed, as far as I can manage, on the current state of knowledge of its subjects. Some of these pioneers knew what they were looking at, others didn’t or were profoundly mistaken. Still, their images and descriptions speak volumes, and I pay homage to them in this series.