New zonal structure and transition of the membrane to mammillae in the eggshell of chicken Gallus domesticus

Abstract

Avian eggshell is a typical bio-engineered ceramics characterized by layer structures. These layers are categorized mainly by the form of crystalline calcite. Whether there exist other layer structures, how the membrane layer is transformed to the carbonate one, what form the carbonate takes after the transition. These questions remain to be clarified. Here we examine the eggshell of chicken Gallus domesticus by optical microscope, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. We find that there exists another layer structure defined by variation of organic matrices. The transition from the membrane to the mammillary cones is implemented through the calcium reserve assemblies or the mammillary cores. The integrity of the transitional structure was weakens as the reserved calcium is displaced, and loses completely in about 10 days of incubation. As the first deposited carbonate layer after the transition, the mammillary cones comprise amorphous calcium carbonate and clusters/assemblies of calcite crystallites the size about a nanometer, plus bubble pores extending preferentially in the lateral direction. Our results provide new insights into the structure and component of the avian eggshell, and may help decipher the constitution of the bio-ceramics in the perspective of material science.