What is Egg???

Air cell - an empty space located at the large end of the egg; it is between the inner and outer shell membranes.

Chalaza - a spiral, rope-like strand that anchors the yolk in the thick egg white. There are two chalazae anchoring each yolk, one on the top and one on the bottom. (The plural of chalaza is chalazae.)

Germinal disc or blastodisc - a small, circular, white spot (2-3 mm across) on the surface of the yolk; it is where the sperm enters the egg. The nucleus of the egg is in the blastodisc.

Inner shell membrane - the thin membrane located between the outer shell membrane and the albumin.

Outer shell membrane - the thin membrane located just inside the shell.

Shell - the hard, protective coating of the egg. It is semi-permeable; it lets gas exchange occur, but keeps other substances from entering the egg. The shell is made of calcium carbonate.

Thick albumin - the stringy part of the egg white (albumin) located nearest the yolk.

Thin albumin - the watery part of the egg white (albumin) located farthest from the yolk.

Vitelline (yolk) membrane - the membrane that surrounds the yolk.

Yolk - the yellow, inner part of the egg where the embryo will form. The yolk contains the food that will nourish the embryo as it grows.  

Egg Quality???

Grade AA: A 'Grade AA' egg will stand up tall. The yolk is firm and the area covered by the white is small. There is a large proportion of thick white to thin white

Grade A: A 'Grade A' egg covers a relatively small area. The yolk is round and upstanding. The thick white is large in proportion to the thin white and stands fairly well around the yolk.

Grade B: A 'Grade B' egg spreads out more. The yolk is flattened and there is about as much (or more) thin white as thick white.

Some Important Egg Tips 

• Use only properly refrigerated, clean, sound shelled, fresh, grade AA or A eggs.
• Buy eggs from refrigerated cases. Always refrigerate eggs at home.
• Store eggs in the carton on a shelf in the refrigerator to ensure freshness.
• Egg shell and yolk color may vary, but color has nothing to do with egg quality, flavor,nutritive value, cooking characteristics or shell thickness.
• Poach eggs instead of frying to cut back on fat, or use non-stick pans or non-stick vegetable pan spray to reduce fat when preparing eggs.
• Prepare and serve eggs with low-fat foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grain breads, and low fat or skim-milk cheeses.
• Serve egg dishes promptly or keep them refrigerated.