The Chicken or the Egg, Which Came First?
British scientists believe they have found the answer to an age-old question: Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
Scientists cracked the puzzle after discovering that the formation of eggs is possible only thanks to a protein found in chicken’s ovaries. That means eggs have to be formed in chickens first.
The protein — called ovocledidin-17 (OC-17)– speeds up the development of the shell. Researchers from Sheffield and Warwick universities in England laid out their findings in the paper”Structural Control of Crystal Nuclei by an Eggshell Protein.”
They used a supercomputer to zoom in on the formation of an egg and realized the protein is vital in kick-starting the crystallization process. It works by converting calcium carbon ate into the calcite crystals that make up the egg shell.
Dr Colin Freeman, from Sheffield University’s Department of Engineering Materials, said “it had long been suspected that the egg came first — but now we have the scientific proof that shows that in fact the chicken came first.”
“The protein had been identified before and it was linked to egg formation, but by examining it closely we have been able to see how it controls the process,” Freeman said.
“It’s very interesting to find that different types of avian species seem to have a variation of the protein that does the same job.”
It is hoped the discovery leads to the invention of new materials.
Glad the Brits spent their tax dollars on this and not the U.S.
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His travels have taken him to most of the United States, as well as Australia, Belize, Egypt and the Canary Islands.
He has studied the Mayan culture of Central America as well as the aborigines of Australia. Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in various parts of the world.
He has published several books about his adventures.
For more information, please consult his website,www.journeysthrulife.com.
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Each generation from the beginning of our country has contributed to what our country has become. By the same token, no one is perfect. Consequently, each generation has done and will continue to perform acts that it would have been better if some other course of action was taken.
The baby boomers have contributed much and have been blamed for the decline of America. What is the true story?