3Gr10 EggStructure

TEACHER LEN’S
PRESENTATION
Physical Structure and Composition of Egg
Shell
Thin Albumin
Chalaza
Thick Albumin
GerminalDisc/BlastoDisc
Vitelline(Yolk) Membrane
Yolk
Chalaza
Inner Shell Membrane
Outer Shell Membrane
Air Cell
1. Shell
The egg’s outer covering, the
shell, accounts for about 9 to 12
% of its total weight depending
on egg size. The shell is the
egg’s first line of defense
against bacterial
contamination.
The shell is produced by the shell
gland (uterus) of the oviduct, and
has an outer coating, the bloom or
cuticle. The cuticle somewhat seals
the pores and is useful in reducing
moisture losses and in preventing
bacterial penetration of the egg
shell.
2. Air cell
This is the empty space between
the white and shell at the large end
of the egg which is barely existent
in newly laid egg. When an egg is
first laid, it is warm. As it cools, the
contents contract and the inner
shell membrane separate from the
outer shell membrane to form the
air cell.
3. Albumen/Egg white
Albumen, also called egg white,
accounts for most of an egg’s liquid
weight, about 67%. This is produced by
the oviduct and consists of four
alternating layers of thick and thin
consistencies. From the yolk outward,
they are designated as the inner thick
or chalaziferous white, the inner thin
white, the outer thick white and the
outer thin white.
The outer thin white is a narrow
fluid layer next to the shell
membrane. The outer thick
white is a gel that forms the
center of the albumen. The
inner thin white is a fluid layer
located next to the yolk.
The inner thick white
(chalasiferous layer) is a dense,
matted, fibrous capsule
terminates on each end in the
chalazae, which are twisted in
opposite directions and serve
to keep the yolk centered.
4. Chalaza
This is the ropey strands of egg white at
both sides of the egg, which anchor the
yolk in place in the center of the thick
white. They are sometimes msistaken for
egg imperfections or beginning embryos,
which of course they are not. The twist in
the chalaza is meant to keep the germinal
disc always on top whichever way the egg
may turn. The more prominent the
chalazae the fresher is the egg.
5. Germinal Disc
This is the entrance of the
latebra, the channel leading to
the center of the yolk. The
germinal disc is barely
noticeable as a slight
depression on the surface of the
yolk.
When the egg is fertilized, sperm
enter by way of the germinal disc,
travel to the center and a chick
embryo starts to form. Since table
eggs are not fertilized, this is not
as easy to recognize as when the
egg is fertilized.
6. Membranes
There are two kinds of membranes,

one just under the shell and the other
covering the yolk. These are the shell
membrane and the vitelline
membrane. Just inside the shell are
two shell membranes, inner and outer.
The air cell formed due to the
contraction of egg as it cools, is
found between the two layers of
this shell membrane.
The outer membrane sticks to
the shell while the inner
membrane sticks to the
albumen. During storage, the
egg losses water by
evaporation, causing the air
cell to enlarge.
The vitelline membrane is
the covering that protects
the yolk from breaking. The
vitelline membrane is
weakest at the germinal disc
and tends to become more
fragile as the egg ages.
Every cook has experienced
that the yolk of eggs that are
no longer fresh easily break.
7. Yolk
The yolk or the yellow to yellow-
orange portion makes up about 33%
of the liquid weight of the egg. The
egg yolk is formed in the ovary. On
the surface of the yolk, there is a
small white spot about 2 mm in
diameter. This is the germinal disc
and it is present even if the egg is
infertile.
In infertile eggs, the germinal
disc contains the genetic material
from the hen only but when
fertilized, it contains the zygote
that will eventually develop into a
chick.
The yolk material serves as a
food source for embryonic
development. It contains all
the fat in the egg and a little
less than half of the protein.
The main protein in the egg yolk
is vitelline, a lipoprotein. It also
contains phosvitin which is high
in phosphorus and has
antioxidant properties, and
livetin which is high in sulfur.
Composition of an Egg
ACTIVITY # 1
A. DIRECTION: Label the parts of an egg
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

3Gr10 EggStructure

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TEACHER LEN’S

There are two kinds of membranes,

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