nutritious and versatile of human foods.

When the egg is freshly laid, the shell is completely

filled. The air cell is formed by contraction of the
contents during cooling and by the loss of moisture.
A high-quality egg has only a small air cell.

The yolk is well-centered in the albumen and is

surrounded by the vitelline membrane, which is
colorless. The germinal disc, where fertilization takes
place, is attached to the yolk. On opposite sides of
the yolk are two, twisted, whitish cord-like objects
known as chalazae. Their function is to support the
yolk in the center of the albumen. Chalazae may vary
in size and density, but do not affect either cooking
performance or nutritional value.

A large portion of the albumen is thick. Surrounding the albumen are two shell membranes and the shell
itself. The shell contains several thousand pores that permit the egg to "breathe."

Structure of an Egg:

Let us discuss the structure of an egg (refer to Fig 14.1) and then we shall discuss different types of eggs
and their uses.

Shell:

It is the outer covering of the egg and is composed of calcium carbonate. It may be white or brown
depending upon the breed of the chicken. The colour of the shell does not affect cooking quality,
character, or nutrition.

Yolk:

This is the yellow portion of an egg. Colour of yolk varies with the feed of the hen, but does not indicate
the nutritional content.

Vitelline:

It is a clear seal that holds the egg yolk.

Chalazae:

These are the twisted cordlike strands of the egg white. They anchor the yolk in the centre of the egg.
Prominent chalazae indicate high quality.

Shell Membranes:
Two shell membranes, inner and outer
membrane, surround the albumen. They
form a protective barrier against bacteria.
Air cell forms between these membranes.

Air Cell:

It is the pocket of air formed at the large

end of the egg. This is caused by the
contraction of the contents on cooling
after the egg is laid. The air cell increases
with the age of the egg as there is
considerable amount of moisture loss.
The eggs are stored with the larger side
facing up to keep the yolk in the centre.

Thin Albumen:

It is nearest to the shell. When the egg is

broken there will be a clear demarcation of the thin and thick albumen. As the egg gets older these two
albumens tend to mix into one another. This is again a test of good and fresh egg.

Thick Albumen:

It stands high and spreads less than the thin white in a high quality egg. It is an excellent source of
riboflavin and protein.

The Egg Shell

The first thing you’ll notice is that the egg has a fat rounded end
and a pointed cone end. The egg is laid rounded end first. Under
the rounded end is the air sack that forms as the contents of the
egg cool from the internal temperature of the bird.

The shell itself is slightly porous and allows air to pass through to
the interior, whilst still providing protection for the contents from
damage and bacteria.

Membranes

Under the shell are two thin membranes. The first is just under the
shell and provides some additional support to the shell. The second
surrounds the white of the egg and as the egg ages the two
membranes separate. The fact there are two membranes and that
they split as the egg ages is why fresh eggs are difficult to peel the shell from when boiled.

Yolk & Chalaza

To hold the yolk in a central position there is a connection of tissue from the membrane that surrounds
the yolk to the top and bottom of the second membrane that is technically known as the chalaza. If you
crack an egg then you may see a whitish string in the egg white, this is the chalaza.

Egg White (albumen)

Next we have the egg white itself or albumen. In a hen’s egg approximately 60% is white and 40% yolk.
In a duck egg, there tends to be more yolk in ratio to white.

The white provides cushioning and additional nutrition for the developing chick and contains less
nutrition than the yolk.

Germinal Disc

There’s another membrane surrounding the yolk and then the yolk itself. On the yolk you may see a little
white spot, this is the germinal disc which contains the cells that will develop into a chick if the egg is
fertile.