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Egg
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Labeled diagram of an animal egg cut in half, showing structural components including the outer shell layers, inner and outer membranes, yolk with its membrane and germinal disc, and albumen with thick and thin egg white, chalaza, and chalaziferous layer. A variety of bird eggs. Figure 9: Eggs of spiders are enclosed in silk sacs. (Bottom) cave orb weaver (Meta menardii) with egg sac suspended from ceiling Cheilomenes lunata A peacock mantis shrimp, Odontodactylus scyllarus, holds a large cluster of pink eggs with its front limbs on the sandy ocean floor in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Close-up of a Polyphemus moth's fuzzy abdomen as it deposits small, round eggs in clusters on a dark tree branch. snake: hatching female tussock moth laying eggs Figure 9: Eggs of spiders are enclosed in silk sacs. (Top) Female wolf spider with her portable egg sac attached to spinnerets Illustration showing different breeding specializations in anurans, including Hemiphractus with eggs on its back, Phyllomedusa eggs on a leaf, Colostethus male carrying tadpoles, aquatic eggs free-floating or attached to vegetation, Physalaemus pair with foam nest, and Gastrotheca with eggs in a pouch.
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Male muscle, man flexing arm, bicep curl.
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Egg: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

  • The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
    Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Article title updated for style. Nov 06, 2026
Modified link of Web site: Cell Press - Current Biology - Plant Evolution: What Does It Take To Be an Egg? Aug 06, 2026
Add new Web site: Khan Academy - Egg, sperm, and fertilization. Dec 26, 2025
Add new Web site: Academia - What Is an Egg? (PDF). May 03, 2025
Add new Web site: Northwestern University - Egg and sperm cell size evolved from competition. Dec 31, 2024
Add new Web site: PNAS - The incredible, edible, and therapeutic egg. Oct 12, 2024
Add new Web site: Cell Press - Current Biology - Plant Evolution: What Does It Take To Be an Egg? Aug 26, 2024
Add new Web site: Frontiers - Where are all the egg genes? Jun 28, 2024
Add new Web site: Biology LibreTexts - Human Egg Cells. Apr 30, 2024
Add new Web site: Stanford University - Eggs and Their Evolution. Nov 03, 2023
Add new Web site: University of Lucknow - Egg: Structure. Sep 19, 2023
Add new Web site: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service - Biology of Eggs. Mar 17, 2023
Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - The Activation of Egg Metabolism. Jan 19, 2023
Add new Web site: Exploratorium - Anatomy of an Egg. Jan 30, 2019
Add new Web site: Quatr.us - Egg. Mar 18, 2013
Media added. Nov 15, 2012
Add new Web site: The Home of the Royal Family - The Duke of Sussex. Nov 07, 2011
Media added. Aug 07, 2009
Line art depicting the different structural components of an egg added. Jan 21, 2009
Article added to new online database. Jul 20, 1998
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