Premium
The egg. The inside story of a cell
Author(s) -
Monti Manuela,
Redi Carloalberto
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
molecular reproduction and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.745
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1098-2795
pISSN - 1040-452X
DOI - 10.1002/mrd.22196
Subject(s) - biology , evolutionary biology , genetics
SUMMARY The egg, a fantastic little laboratory of molecular biology, has played a crucial role in redefining modern biology by moving it from the description of living things to the synthesis of living things (synthetic biology). Over the centuries, many hypotheses have been advanced concerning the egg's role in reproduction—from the preformation theory until von Baer's discovery to the present, with the 2012 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine celebrating the egg as a totipotent stem cell able to reprogram fully differentiated somatic nuclei. The molecular dissection of its cytoplasmic components makes the egg an ideal bioreactor for several biotechnological applications, including pharmacological and food production sciences. In addition to its ubiquitous contribution to the worldwide diet, the egg, a powerful symbol, pervades philosophy, art, religion, and idiomatic expressions. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 80:691–697, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc .