Some aspects of water absorption by the developing egg of Schistocerca gregaria

Schistocerca gregaria eggs absorb water over their entire surface. Water entry is facilitated by changes in the permeability of cuticular membranes covering the egg. The shell is markedly more permeable during the period of rapid water uptake and much less so on the other days. The changes in permeability are due to the differing amounts of lipoid material in the shell at different developmental periods. The absorption appears to be an active process requiring oxidative energy, although osmosis may also be partly involved. Water entry is mediated by the serosa and is not influenced by the developing embryo.