Transportation of liquid crystal and CaCO3 vaterite crystal in chicken embryo and early postnatal development

ABSTRACTDuring chick embryo development, the liquid crystals appear in more than 20 organs at certain developmental stages, and vanish in early post-natal stage. In this study, we found a complex in embryo, the YS-J/I tunnel system, in charge of transporting the LCs and CCVCs preserved from yolk sac into the embryo. This transportation initiates from yolk sac connecting to central transportation region/reservoir via a main tunnel, spreads radically to various parts of digestive system via sub-tunnels. Our data indicate that the liquid crystals could be the best form of nutrition which is necessary in embryo development and early post-natal development.