Chick ex ovo Culture

Overview

One strength of the chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) as a model organism for developmental biology is that the embryo develops outside the female and is easily accessible for experimental manipulation. Many techniques allow scientists to examine chicken embryos inside the eggshell (in ovo), but embryonic access can be limited at later stages of development. Fortunately, chicks can also be cultured ex ovo, or outside of the eggshell. The major advantage to ex ovo culture is greater access to tissues that might otherwise be obstructed by the shell or the orientation of the chick within the egg, especially for embryos in later stages of development.

There are two principle strategies to ex ovo culture: whole yolk culture and explant culture. During whole yolk culture, the eggshell is cracked and the contents are transferred to a simple housing vessel. However, in explant culture methods, the embryo is excised from the yolk and mounted in the housing vessel to maintain membrane tension, which is important for normal development.

Basic protocols for whole-yolk and explant techniques will be provided in this video, along with a discussion of the pros and cons of culturing chicks outside of the shell. Finally, experimental applications of ex ovo culture will be discussed, demonstrating how this approach is used to improve access to the embryo for microscopy and genetic manipulation of late stage embryos.

Procedure

The chick is a versatile model organism for the study of developmental pathways because most of its development takes place outside of the mother. Nonetheless, the eggshell prevents access to the embryo for some forms of experimentation. Fortunately, chicks can be incubated outside of the shell, or “ex ovo,” using some commonly available lab supplies. In this video, you will learn about the principles of ex ovo culture, step-by-step procedures for two different culture methods, and applicatio

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Tags
ChickEx Ovo CultureDevelopmental PathwaysEggshellIncubationLab SuppliesVitelline MembraneAlbuminEgg WhiteWhole Yolk CultureExplant CultureWindowed EggsBlood VesselsImaging Rigs

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0:00

Overview

0:48

Principles of ex ovo Culture

2:49

Whole Yolk Culture

3:55

Explant Culture

4:41

Applications

6:23

Summary

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