Nanotechnology cracks eggshell problem, according to ScienceDaily 30 March 2018, ABC News 31 March 2018 and Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aar3219, 30 March 2018.
Biologists and engineers have studied the microscopic structure of chicken eggshells to work out how such shells are strong enough to avoid being broken while an embryonic bird develops inside, but yet are weak enough for the baby bird to break out when ready to hatch.
They discovered the eggshell had three layers, all consisting of a mineral, calcite, in combination with a number of organic molecules including a protein named osteopontin. This unique combination of osteopontin and calcite formed a nanostructure that gave the shell its strength. The outer two layers had the most osteopontin and were organised into dense crystalline structures, which gave the shell its hardness and resistance to cracking. The inner layer was less dense, and in the later stages of incubation, dissolved to provide calcium for the growing chick’s bones. This weakened the shell structure so the fully developed chicken could break out.
In order to confirm the role of the osteopontin protein in forming the structure researchers were able to make synthetic nanostructures similar to the shell structure by adding osteopontin to mineral crystals grown in their laboratory.
Editorial Comment: This is another variation on the chicken and egg problem, and once again it is solved only by the Creator. Eggshell structure only works because of plan and purpose, and the clever design that provides protection and a calcium source for a growing baby bird, and lets it out when it is ready. Chance random processes may break eggs, but they never make them. Evolving birds would die out in one generation if their eggs broke before the baby birds had developed, or if they were too tough for baby birds to hatch out. Furthermore the baby birds would not grow properly if they could not get enough calcium. The strength in the shells comes not only from the substances in the shell, but from the organisation of the calcite-protein combination.
Note yet again that it took intelligent scientists using the modern techniques of nanotechnology to make the same structures that already existed in the eggshell. What hypocrites to claim such intelligence was not needed in the beginning.
In case you are wondering “which came first, the chicken or the egg”, the answer is clearly stated in Genesis. On the fifth day of creation God created birds, according to their kinds, and told them to multiply. That means He created fully formed functional adult birds, who could then mate and lay eggs, successfully in the first generation.
Evidence News vol. 18, No. 3
11 April 2018
Creation Research Australia
Were you helped by this item? If so, consider making a donation so we can keep sending out Evidence News and add more items to this archive. For USA tax deductible donations click here. For UK tax deductible donations click here. For Australia and rest of world click here.