title: Studies on the avian shell gland during egg formation: aqueous and electrolytic composition of the mucosa.
abstract: The intracellular composition of the avian shell gland mucosa was studied at six stages of egg formation. 2. Total water content of the mucosa before shell calcification was 4-8 kg/kg dry weight (dw) and rose to 6-6 kg/kg dw during shell formation; 60% of the increase was intracellular and 40% extracellular. 3. The potassium concentration of the mucosa remained constant during egg formation. 4. Chloride was removed constantly from the mucosal cells during egg formation. 5. A model was constructed for the glandular cells which depicts them as primarily NaHCO3-secreting cells towards the luminal side and HCl-secreting cells towards the serosal side, their main function being to provide CO2/3- for shell formation. In this model, the columnar mucosal cells are responsible for the calcium used in shell formation.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002712:Chlorides / Q000378:metabolism; D004528:Egg Shell; D005260:Female; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D010057:Oviducts / Q000378:metabolism*; D010058:Oviposition; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002712:Chlorides; D014867:Water; D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium