|
See what I did there? For many people, the Monday after Easter is
covered in basket lining and hard-boiled colored eggs. So today I'm going to
give you some fun egg facts to amaze your friends and family.
An egg is composed of eight
different components as seen in the image. An egg shell is covered with as
many as 17,000 tiny pores and is made almost entirely of calcium carbonate
(CaCO3) crystals. Air and moisture can pass through the pores but
the outermost layer helps keep out bacteria and dust. Between the shell and the
egg white are the outer and inner membranes. These layers are made partly of
keratin. They are very strong and protect against bacteria. The air cell forms
when the contents of the egg cool and contract after the egg is laid. Fun Fact:
The air cell accounts for the crater often seen at the end of a hard-cooked
egg. The albumen, also known as the egg white, is composed of four alternating
layers of thick and thin albumen, which contain 40 different proteins. The yolk contains less water, more protein,
some fat, and vitamins and minerals such as iron, vitamin A, vitamin D,
phosphorus, calcium, thiamine, and riboflavin. The yolk is a source of
lecithin, an effective emulsifier.
Image Credit:Exploratorium.edu
Egg whites contain a high amount of protein, which change form when
they are heated, beaten, or mixed. The proteins in an egg white are globular
proteins, which are long protein molecules that are twisted, folded, and curled
up into a spherical shape. Weak chemical bonds keep the protein curled and it
floats in the surrounding water. As an egg is
heated, the egg white proteins are agitated and the bonds keeping the
protein curled begin to break. New chemical bonds form between the long
proteins. After enough agitating, the proteins form a network of interconnected
proteins and the water is captured and held in the protein web. Fun Fact: if
you leave the egg at a high temperature too long, too many bonds will form and
the egg white will become rubbery.
Image Credit:
kitchensinkwisdom.com
While they aren't relevant to the day after Easter, raw eggs can
do some really cool stuff too. Egg yolks, which are largely made of fat and
lecithin, are responsible for binding ingredients together and emulsifying
sauces such as hollandaise. An emulsion is used when you want an oil-based and
water-based liquid to mix together. Egg whites provide strength and stability
to baked goods. A beaten egg white can increase to eight times its volume. This
happens as air bubbles are added to the unfolded proteins. Egg white proteins
contain both hydrophilic and hydrophobic amino acids. When the protein is
curled up, the hydrophobic amino acids are packed in the center, but as they
are beaten the protein uncurls so the hydrophilic parts can be mixed with the
surrounding water. Once the proteins uncurl, they bond with each other,
creating a network that holds the air bubbles in place.
(How much do you want to bet he's already had a sip of one of those
cups?) Image Credit: blog.magazine.com
So did I amaze you? No…OK, well I hope I at least taught you something.
If you want to be amazed, check out some of the links below as you're eating
your egg salad sandwich!
Stupid Egg Tricks
(including, but not limited to, a pickled egg, egg in a bottle, and secret
message eggs)
How
to make perfect hard boiled eggs
How
to tell if an egg is raw or hard boiled
Post
- Easter Meals
Cool
things made from egg cartons
100
Ways to Crack an Egg
Fun
and Easy Egg Experiments
Exploding Egg
| 
Re: Eggstra Opportunities
