egg

The female sexual cell, or gamete; after fertilization and fusion of the pronuclei it is a zygote and no longer an e.. In reptiles and birds, the e. is provided with a protective shell, membranes, albumin, and yolk for the nourishment of the embryo. SEE ALSO: oocyte, ovum. [A.S. aeg]

- centrolecithal e. an e. in which the yolk is concentrated near the center of the e. cell, as is the case in many of the insects.

- homolecithal e. an e. in which the total amount of yolk is small and fairly uniformly distributed throughout the cytoplasm. SYN: isolecithal e..

- isolecithal e. SYN: homolecithal e..

- microlecithal e. an e. containing a small amount of deutoplasm.

- telolecithal e. an e. containing a relatively large quantity of deutoplasm concentrated at the abapical pole; e.g., eggs of reptiles and birds.

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electrogastrogram, electrogastrography; electroglottogram

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egg 'eg, 'āg n

1) the hard-shelled reproductive body produced by a bird and esp. by the common domestic chicken (Gallus gallus)

2) an animal reproductive body consisting of an ovum together with its nutritive and protective envelopes and having the capacity to develop into a new individual capable of independent existence

3) OVUM

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electrogastrography.