Egg Glossary
Following is a short glossary of key terms associated with eggs and the egg-laying industry:
- albumen
- The egg white. Provides protein, water, and protection for the egg embryo.
- blood spot
- Also known as the meat spot. A blood spot, when present, is entirely natural and harmless.
- chalaza (or chalazae)
- The chalaza (or chalazae) is a white rope-like structure that is sometimes apparent in the egg white. It helps suspend the egg yolk within the egg shell. It is harmless and does not indicate a defect or spoilage.
- determinate layer
- A hen that lays only a determinate number of eggs and will not replace eggs removed from the nest.
- indeterminate layer
- A hen that lays an indeterminate number of eggs and will replace eggs removed from the nest.
- oology
- The scientific study of eggs.
- oviduct
- Part of the hen's reproductive tract. A tube, in the upper-part of which the egg is fertilized, with the other parts of the egg (the shell and its contents) formed as the egg descends through the oviduct.
- Salmonella enteritidis
- A bacterium present in the intestinal tracts of many animals. A primary cause of food poisoning and food-borne illness. Does not grow below 40-degrees Fahrenheit and is destroyed by cooking.
- yolk
- A spherical yellow-orange structure at the center of an egg, separated from the egg white by a membrane. Provides nutrients to the egg embryo while it is developing.
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