31P-NMR characterization of hen egg yolk and egg white

The avian egg is an isolated system where embryonic development can easily be studied. Furthermore, the system can be subjected to various environmental constraints. Its size is such that it can easily be accommodated in most NMR instruments. This is demonstrated by a recent 31P-NMR surface coil experiment where the increase of embryo size and development could be judged by the levels of ATP and phosphocreatine (Belton, P.S., Gordon, R.E., Jones, J.M. and Shaw, D. (1983) Br. Poult. Sci. 24, 429–433).