Structure and formation of the eggshell

Abstract

The avian eggshell is made of an organic matrix (3.5%), comprising the eggshell membranes and some constituents embedded in the layer of calcium carbonate (95%) in the form of calcite. The chicken eggshell is a natural porous bioceramic resulting from the sequential deposition of the different layers within the segments of the hen oviduct over a predetermined period. It is a perfectly ordered structure with a polycrystalline organization throughout the calcified shell described in many reviews (Hamilton, 1986; Tullet 1987; Nys et al. 1999, 2001, 2004). © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.