Membrane Continues Vitelline Membrane Chicken Egg
The Anatomy of a Chicken Egg – Parts and Functions of an Egg
Which one comes first? The egg or the chicken? Well, it's hard to tell. And maybe we'll never know what the answer is. But at least we can learn as much as we can about chickens and eggs.
In this blog post, we'll discuss chicken eggs. You will learn the anatomy of a chicken egg which will involve all the parts of an egg and their functions. So, sit back and relax because you are about to learn all you need to know about chicken eggs.
The Anatomy of a Chicken Egg
The visible parts of an egg include the shell, albumen, and the yolk. Those are the parts that most people know exist in an egg. Well, many components make the chicken egg what it is. It is more than three parts. Here is the anatomy of a chicken egg.
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Eggshell
This is the most visible part of an egg.
It is made of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and covered with thousands of tiny pores. An eggshell is a semipermeable membrane, allowing air and moisture to pass the pores.
Bloom or Cuticle
It is a thin outermost coating of the eggshell which keeps out dust and bacteria. It keeps out the dust by sealing the pores on the eggshell. This also reduces moisture loss from the interior of the egg.
Outer and inner shell membranes
They are found immediately after the shell in the inner side of the egg. Both are partly made of keratin. Their primary function is to protect the egg from being invaded by bacteria.
Air Cell
After an egg has been laid, the contents of the egg cool and contract, forming the air space. The air space is found between the outer and inner shell membranes at the larger end of an egg.
As the egg continues to age, moisture and carbon dioxide leave through the pores and air enters to replace them.
Chalazae
Chalazae are dark spiral ropes of egg white. They hold the yolk in place at the center of the egg. It is important to note that fresh eggs have more conspicuous chalazae.
The albumen
The term albumen comes from the Latin word Albus, which means white. Albumen is primarily composed of water and contains around 40 different types of proteins. It has two layers; the outer albumen and the interior albumen.
The outer albumen is a thin fluid layer that is found next to the shell membrane, and it is usually very thin.
The interior albumen is thick and is found next to the egg yolk. It contains a large amount of riboflavin.
Vitelline Membrane
It is the clear casing that encloses the egg yolk. The strength of the vitelline membrane is essential in preventing egg yolk mottling.
Nucleus of Pander
This is just but a plug of whitish yolk that has no use in the development of an egg. Its primary function is more of nutritive.
Germinal Disk
This is a small circular white spot found on the surface of the yolk. It is where the sperm enters the egg. After fertilization, the embryo develops from this place and slowly sends blood vessels into the yolk for nutrition during embryo development.
Yolk
It is the innermost part of the egg. Its color is between yellow and deep orange depending on the breed of the chicken and the type of the feed given to the chicken.
The yolk of an egg contains more proteins, vitamins fat, and minerals than the albumen.
How is an Egg Made?
Before an egg becomes complete, it goes through a series of stages.
The process starts at the point where an oocyte is produced from the ovary of a chicken. What is formed at this stage becomes the yolk. It is then released into the oviduct to await fertilization.
Whether fertilization of the yolk occurs or not, the development of the egg proceeds to the next stage. It goes down the oviduct and is covered with the vitelline membrane, structural fibers, and layers of albumin.
The movement of the egg during development causes the fibers to twist to form chalazae to hold the yolk in place. The eggshell is then dropped around the egg just before it is laid.
The formation and the movement of an egg can take up to 26 hours before the chicken lays the egg.
Well, that's it.
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Patrick is a twenty-something-year-old web designer based in Nairobi, Kenya. When he's not busy working on a WordPress project, you will find him taking care of his chickens. He is the founder of Poultry Facts. You can follow him on Instagram at @lumumba_pl
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