Egg Definition and 245 Threads

An egg is the organic vessel containing the zygote in which an embryo develops until it can survive on its own, at which point the animal hatches. An egg results from fertilization of an egg cell. Most arthropods, vertebrates (excluding live-bearing mammals), and mollusks lay eggs, although some, such as scorpions, do not.
Reptile eggs, bird eggs, and monotreme eggs are laid out of water and are surrounded by a protective shell, either flexible or inflexible. Eggs laid on land or in nests are usually kept within a warm and favorable temperature range while the embryo grows. When the embryo is adequately developed it hatches, i.e., breaks out of the egg's shell. Some embryos have a temporary egg tooth they use to crack, pip, or break the eggshell or covering.
The largest recorded egg is from a whale shark and was 30 cm × 14 cm × 9 cm (11.8 in × 5.5 in × 3.5 in) in size. Whale shark eggs typically hatch within the mother. At 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) and up to 17.8 cm × 14 cm (7.0 in × 5.5 in), the ostrich egg is the largest egg of any living bird, though the extinct elephant bird and some non-avian dinosaurs laid larger eggs. The bee hummingbird produces the smallest known bird egg, which weighs half of a gram (around 0.02 oz). Some eggs laid by reptiles and most fish, amphibians, insects, and other invertebrates can be even smaller.
Reproductive structures similar to the egg in other kingdoms are termed "spores," or in spermatophytes "seeds," or in gametophytes "egg cells".

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  1. T

    Human Sperm, Egg Cells Mass-Generated using iPS

    Kyoto University scientists mass-generate cells for sperm, eggs using human iPS The research, published in the online edition of the British science journal Nature on Monday, amplified the number of male and female primitive germ cells over 10 billion times from their initial culture stage...
  2. S

    Is this egg-laying or something else?

    My apartment's balcony door is wide open more often than not. This time of year, that tends to mean that insects keep flying in and out. Most of them, or at least most of the ones that are large and/or loud enough for me to notice, are bee and wasp types. They behave quite differently from the...
  3. T

    B Probability of eating one egg with salmonella

    ln Will Kurt's Kurt's book "Bayesian Statistics The Fun Way" he gives a problem at the end of a chapter " Raw eggs have a 1/20,000 probability of having salmonella. If you eat two raw eggs what is the probability that you ate a raw egg with salmonella." The online answer he gives: "For this...
  4. Dr Wu

    High gravity vs. high pressure: ref. Dragon's Egg?

    Having re-read "Dragon's Egg" recently, I recall that the cheela, being composed of degenerate matter, would explode if removed from their high-gravity environment and placed in freefall.* (For those who haven't read the story, the environment here is a half-solar mass neutron star with a...
  5. Hamiltonian

    I Derivation of Schrodinger equation (chicken and egg problem?)

    The classical wave equation in 1-D reads: $$\frac{\partial^2 u}{\partial x^2}(x,t) = \frac{1}{v^2}\frac{\partial^2 u}{\partial t^2}(x,t)$$ The D'alembert solution to the wave equation is: $$u(x,t) = f(x+vt) + g(x-vt)$$ so a allowed wave function solution to the 1-Dimensional classical wave...
  6. A

    Egg tossing crime -- From what location was the egg thrown?

    Figure 1. A map of the crime scene. My attempt:We start by trying to map the possible throwing area from the green marked walls in the figure. The area can be divided into two suitable triangles from each corner towards the red marked crime scene. With the help of Google Earth, the sides of...
  7. T

    How can the force of impact be reduced in an egg toss game?

    So I am trying to answer a question which is about an egg toss game where two people try to throw an egg at each other without breaking it.The question is how can the force of impact be reduced so that the egg doesn't break. With respect to the F = Δ p / Δ t formula, I think increasing time of...
  8. lekh2003

    Non-enzyme detergent and egg whites

    Hello everyone! I was doing an experiment recently which was a run of the mill testing for enzymes eating away at egg whites. Now, I managed to correctly predict that an enzyme detergent would eat away at hard boiled egg white slices. I did this by placing the egg whites in an enzyme detergent...
  9. FEAnalyst

    Thermodynamics - time to cook an egg

    Hi, as Easter is slowly approaching, I came up with an egg cooking thermodynamics problem that I would like to solve. My formulation of the problem including necessary simplifications is as follows: Let's assume that an egg is a sphere-shaped solid body made of homogenous material (ignoring...
  10. José Ricardo

    Medical Red blood cells can turn into a sperm or an egg?

    With the advances of science, will it be possible to turn red cells into sperm or turn them into eggs to help a man who has lost both testicles or a woman who has lost her ovaries?
  11. Y

    Forces involved in egg-drop experiment: 25 Newtons to Break an Egg?

    Homework Statement So I've spent many hours on here and deep deeeeeep in my textbooks trying to learn things...that pertain to the Egg drop experiment I am almost done with everything I need but I was wondering. I've read that it takes approximately 25 Newtons of force to break an...
  12. J

    How can I improve my egg drop design using limited materials?

    Hey guys! So I will be doing the classic egg drop competition at school and was wondering if I could get some help. The materials I have is : 3 sheets of newspaper 5 popsicle sticks 10 wooden skewers 1m of masking tape hot glue I have to drop an egg multiple times (not sure the heights yet...
  13. M

    Why does egg float upwards in stirred bottle of water?

    Hello, why does the egg float upwards in a stirred bottle of water? I have tried making same experiment with other objects in different shapes but only the egg shape seems to float upwards. Here's the link to the video: Second experiment: Thank you for help.
  14. S

    How does an ostrich egg breathe?

    Birds are warm blooded, with intense metabolism. How does an ostrich egg/chick breathe? A mammal young of similar size has placenta. Air is actively breathed into mother´s lungs, then the blood is circulated to womb, where it is across a thin membrane from the young mammal´s placenta and...
  15. P

    How Can I Create a Portable Egg Catcher That Meets Strict Requirements?

    I must drop an egg from 2m, 6m, and 8m without cracking it. The egg cannot be attached to anything or encase in anything. I must drop just a plain egg into something to catch it. The "catcher" must not be taller than 5 cm. , and the catching area must be less than 2000 cm^2. The device must be...
  16. S

    Building a Self-Contained Egg Tower Device: Grade 12 Physics ISU Project

    Homework Statement For my Grade 12 Physics ISU, basically I have to build a self-contained device (Can complete the task on its own after setting it up) using physics that can pick up an raw egg inside an egg cup and place safely it on a table/tower 1m away then continue 1m past the table. The...
  17. J

    Self Contained Egg Moving Device

    Homework Statement I have a project for physics that requires me to construct a self-contained egg moving device. It must move itself 0.5m, then pick up an egg (in an egg cup holder), then move another meter and drop the egg off onto a platform 1.0m high, then continue moving after dropping it...
  18. A

    How to avoid an egg being cracked when dropped

    Homework Statement An egg is being dropped onto a wooden block. The egg cracks after an impact. The velocity of the egg just before the impact is 5m s^-1. Give two suggestions and explain on how you would avoid the egg from cracking from the same height Homework Equations Momentum: F=ma...
  19. zone32

    Preventing Egg Smashing: Strategies for a Safe Landing

    Hello, I'm in 8th grade (In sweden, I think its 7th grade in US) And I'm supposed to stop an Egg from smashing the ground, and we are dropping it about 4 meters above the ground. Do I need to calculate anything in order to figure out how to stop it from breaking/smashing. And If I do how do I...
  20. J

    Self-contained Egg-moving Device

    Homework Statement I have a project for physics that requires me to construct a self-contained egg moving device, that must use falling masses to power it. It must move itself 1.5m, then pick up an egg (in an egg cup holder) off of a standard sized paint can, then move another meter and drop...
  21. S

    Physics Egg Car Project Tips: How to Safely Transport an Egg from a 1m Ramp

    I have to create a vehicle to safely transport an egg from a ramp 1 m above the floor. The car must be powered solely with gravitational potential energy, must fall and land of its wheels, and I get a better grade for the farther away it lands from the ramp... but I'm completely lost of how to...
  22. T

    Projectile Motion: An Egg Thrown Vertically Upwards

    1- A person throws an egg directly upward with an initial speed of 27.4 m/s. When the person throws the egg it is located 1.36 m above the ground at the exact moment of release. The effects of air-resistance on the egg can be ignored. (Take the moment of release as t = 0). a. What is the egg's...
  23. M

    Egg Drop Challenge: Designing a Way to Keep an Egg Intact

    For my physics assignment we have to design and test a way to allow an egg to fall from a three storey building and not crack. The only requirments are the egg must be visible in atleast one place and the smallest design wins. I tried making a crumple area and then protecting the egg with...
  24. H

    How Can You Calculate the Impact Force of a Falling Egg?

    I searched engineering calculators and they rely on the input you know the stopping time or the stopping distance - easy for a car but not an egg. Knowing either of these quantities makes the problem trivial, but how to estimate or calculate them?? What is the best assumption for either and...
  25. jackwhirl

    Are you an egg peeling super-human?

    I've had this question for some time now, and I'd really like to find an answer. What is the best way to peel a hard-boiled egg? I don't consider myself -bad- at peeling eggs. It just seems to be a matter of luck. Sometimes the shell comes off cleanly and easily, and sometimes the eggshell...
  26. GeorgeDishman

    I Reheating and the horizon problem - chicken and egg?

    One of the benefits of inflation often mentioned in beginner treatments is that it solves the horizon problem by taking a volume which was in thermal equilibrium and expanding it so much that it is now larger than the observable universe thus explaining how the CMB temperature is so uniform...
  27. F

    The Impact of Age on Sperm, Egg, and the Development of a Zygote

    So, if the male is age 30 and the female is age 28 with the sperm and egg, why isn't their baby starts at age 29? That means the DNA damage theory shouldn't happen, each male and female would give half of their chromosomes (23) created through meiosis and fuse them to form a zygote beginning at...
  28. caters

    Writing: Input Wanted T rex pack with a mysterious egg in their nest

    I have started writing a fiction book about dinosaurs. The first chapter is about a T rex pack with a mysterious egg in their nest. The pack itself has 1 adult female, 1 adult male, and 3 juveniles. The adult female was about to lay her eggs when she said "Oh my god, there is an egg in our...
  29. D

    Chicken or Egg? Gravity & Spacetime

    Is gravity the effect of the curvature of spacetime or does gravity effect the curvature of spacetime?
  30. E

    What materials can be used in an egg drop challenge without tape or glue?

    Our class is making an egg drop design but the rule is we can't use any tape or glue and we can only use these materials Balloon, toothpick, string, paperclip, straw, cotton ball, pipe cleaner, rubber band, paper, cup, newspaper, and plastic sheet
  31. O

    High School Egg Drop project tips

    Homework Statement I have an egg drop project in my high school physics class, dropping 2 eggs in one device from 6 meters up. There are some certain guidelines. I was just looking for some tips or ideas of what I should do. So here are the guidelines: - Device has to hold 2 eggs. - It must...
  32. L

    Egg Drop Competition - Using popsicle sticks vs straws

    All the videos I've looked at uses straws, but doesn't wood absorb the impact better? Is there a way to do a hybrid wood/straw setup for maximum absorption? Also, how is my idea? I am going to make a bedding from yarn and make it fairly tight. Then I'm going to connect to 4 popsicle sticks...
  33. A

    What materials can I use for an egg drop competition?

    Hi, I have a egg drop competition coming up, and I am only able to use: Duct tape Hot Glue Egg 50 Wooden Craft Sticks I have no idea where to begin. The egg will be dropped from 3 meters. Any ideas?
  34. K

    Egg Drop Project with Tiny Requirements

    Homework Statement For my egg drop project, the requirements are different than anything I have seen on other forums. Basically the only rule is that it can't be bigger than 3x3x3 inches. We can use any materials except anything peanut related (allergies) and will be dropping our containers...
  35. D

    Why does the duration of an egg yolk spin depend on its viscosity?

    Hello, we were given a project in class to determine the viscosity of the egg yolk without breaking it. That is the exact question given to us. I researched and the only thing I found is that I should spin the egg to determine the viscosity. I have a tray of eggs and I just spun it and timed how...
  36. vikc

    Shock absorbent material to protect an egg

    I am doing the Bottle Rocket event for Science Olympiad and I have to have an egg strapped to an air pressured rocket which should not crack on the way down. What is the best and lightest material I can use to absorb the impact? I was thinking of a sponge or cotton. The rocket will be floating...
  37. Digitz

    What are some effective designs for an egg drop project using limited materials?

    Objective: Design/construct container to safely land a raw egg when dropped onto pavement from top of bleachers. Materials: Standard Toothpicks, Standard Straight Drinking Straws, Standard Sewing Thread, Cardboard, Masking Tape Requirements: Egg cannot crack. Container mass < 30 grams without...
  38. J

    Egg Drop Project and Kinetic Energy

    Homework Statement [/B] Our teacher has given us the weekend to go and work on the Egg Drop project. He's restricted us to 20g total mass and 6cm * 6cm * 30cm in size. Food, foam, bubble wrap is prohibited. Parachutes can be added but can not make it exceed 12cm * 12 cm * 30cm. So that's what...
  39. K

    "Dragons egg" by Robert L Forward

    The book is about humans comming into contact with intelligent life on a neutron star, who due to their homeworlds massive gravity evolve incredibly fast relative to the human time frame in higher orbit. It's written by Robert L Forward, a physicist, however shouldn't higher gravity cause time...
  40. N

    Advice on doing the Egg Drop challenge with High Schoolers

    Hello I'm relatively new to teaching physics and was wondering if you anyone had advices as to the parameters to put on this challenge. How high should I drop their containers from? 2nd or 3rd story? When I was in school, I think we could only use glue and toothpicks, but I don't remember...
  41. caters

    The Causes of Early Egg & Sac Fusions in Pregnancy

    I know that if 2 eggs fuse early in pregnancy before a blastocyst forms in either one of them a true hermaphrodite will have formed in a human or animal that is not usually hermaphroditic. I also know that sometimes in multiple pregnancies, especially in multiple pregnancies that are more than...
  42. B

    What forces would act upon any general egg drop device?

    Homework Statement I am doing an egg drop project write up, and one of the components is to draw a general egg drop device diagram, and to write down the general forces which would act upon the egg drop device, both inside it, and outside it. Any suggestions? Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a...
  43. M

    Egg Drop Ideas: Solve the Physics Puzzle

    Homework Statement I need help with egg drop ideas! For this project, I have to create something that will catch an egg (about 62.5 g) dropped from a height of 9.91 meters so that it will not break or crack. I also have to discuss forces, impulses, momentum, time and velocity changes of the...
  44. Britmer

    Optimizing Toothpick Egg Drop Project Design

    Homework Statement I have to build a egg drop project out of only toothpicks and glue. I can have a plastic bag to hold the egg (and avoid cleaning up a mess). It has to weigh 40 grams or less. The egg must be dropped from a height of three meters. I attempted to build it. I had a cube to hold...
  45. Spinnor

    Cracking an egg, why didn't I think of that before?

    Part of my morning routine involves making "enhanced" oatmeal for my wife and myself. This has been going on for easily two or more years. A single egg is included in the oatmeal along with other ingredients. So for years now every morning I crack open an egg and add it to my mixture without...
  46. Killjoywannabe

    Egg Drop Project: Creative Designs with Limited Materials

    Okay. I have to do the egg drop project tomorrow and I need help with ideas for designs. Available materials: 2 sheets of printer paper 1 meter of tape I have to build something that can withstand about a 5 meter drop. Additional materials can be 'purchased' with grade points, but only more...
  47. F

    Egg drop project landing module

    Homework Statement For my 8th grade honors science class we are currently doing astronomy. We got assigned a project where we have to create a landing module like the module that people land back on Earth in. The catch is that it has to be able to fit in a 10cm x10cm x10cm box and be able to...
  48. andyrk

    Distinguishing between Raw Egg and Hard-Boiled Egg

    Homework Statement Why does a hard-boiled egg spin faster than a raw egg? Why does a raw egg spin longer than a hard-boiled egg? Can this be explained using moment of inertia, angular velocity and conservation of angular momentum? Homework Equations Can this be explained using moment of...
  49. E

    Why an Egg Stands Up: Exploring Energy Changes

    Why does a spinning egg stand up ,what are the energy changes and why do they occur
  50. C

    Why mother's DNA and not mitochondria transplanted into egg?

    I am referring to "3 parents baby" discussed e.g. here http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21565209-new-technique-help-cure-mitochondrial-diseases-should-be-permitted-law-powering . AFAIU they take the egg of mitochondria donor, remove its nucleus / DNA and transplant into it the mother's DNA...
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