Electron microscopic assessment of the mechanism of penetration of substances into the embryo through the pores of the shell

The article presents the research material on the structure and properties of the shell of duck embryos. Using the scanning electron microscopy method, images of the porous ultrastructure of the outer surface of the shell on the ninth day of egg incubation, as well as its elemental composition, were obtained. It is shown that the surface of the egg has a layered unevenly bumpy structure, on the surface of which pores are randomly located, which are located both in the fractures of the shell layers and on the surface. It was found that the content of carbon, magnesium, aluminum and calcium in the shell was 1.1-1.5 times higher than in the pore region. And the oxygen content was higher in the pore region compared to the content in the plate. The comparatively lower content of elements in the pore area on the outside of the shell indicates a non-dense structure that provides communication with the inner surface, which creates a prerequisite for the possible delivery of substances in ovo to embryos.