A beautiful image of dopamine crystals viewed with polarized light.
From the description: “A polarized light micrograph of dopamine crystals. Dopamine is a naturally occurring precursor of norepinephrine that affects various brain processes, many of which control movements, emotional responses and the experiences of pain and pleasure. Dopamine receptors are especially clustered in the midbrain. The drug L-DOPA, used to help sufferers of Parkinson’s disease, is converted in the brain to dopamine.”
Link to Creative Commons licensed image at Wellcome (via NewSci).
Mind Hacks 
I love this image and the Wellcome Images gallery! Amazing science photos. I even used this particular image as a blog banner for a little while. It’s kind of mesmerizing.
Isn’t amazing that something this colorful is responsible for so many human’s physiological or psychological disorders.
It’s quite poetic that what differentiates us from others, and regulates our emotions is so vivid.
Now what would these dopamine crystals look like while LSD is tweaking your dopamine receptors? Inquiring minds want to know.