The Transfer of Phosphorus to the Hen’s Egg, under Controlled Environment, as Traced with Radiophosphorus (P32)

THE hen’s egg contains a large amount of phosphorus (about 0.6% of the dry matter) which is distributed in various chemical forms through its three principal components: shell, white, and yolk. It has been observed that radioactive phosphate when administered (fed or injected) to a laying hen appears rapidly in all components and phosphorus compounds of the egg (Chargaff, 1942; Hevesy and Hahn, 1938; Lorenz et al., 1943; O’Neil et al., 1948). The effect of environmental factors on egg production and egg composition (Smith et al., 1954) may well be associated with changes in the rate and extent of transfer of phosphorus from the hen to the egg. This paper reports the results of some studies on the deposition of injected P32 in the egg which were carried out under controlled conditions. METHOD The environmental conditions, a description of the experimental animals, and general methods of analysis used in this …