Yolk spherocrystal: the structure, composition and liquid crystal template

The structure and composition of the yolk spherocrystal, a biomineral developed in the egg yolk sac during the incubation of a chicken embryo, were investigated through various modern analytical methods. Additionally, inside the yolk sac, yolk liquid crystal, a liquid crystalline phase of lipid developed during the incubation of the embryo, was found and investigated. The spherocrystal was found to be a composite composed of calcium carbonate (vaterite and calcite, primarily the former) and the yolk liquid crystal, which is believed to act as an organic template for spherocrystals mineralization, in a concentric multi-layered sphere structure. Moreover, the yolk liquid crystal was found to have a concentric multi-layered spherical structure and a composition consistent with lecithin. We believed that the spherocrystals function as a reservoir for the storage of calcium in the egg yolk sac during the development of the embryo.