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Tap to play or pause GIF Food Network. Just whisk it into the eggs right before cooking and watch the magic happen. It'll add a silky texture without changing the flavor, so even mayo-haters.
Amphibians appeared about 370 million years ago and were the first vertebrates to walk on land. Meanwhile, the first reptiles -- which gave rise to dinosaurs, lizards, birds and even the first mammals -- appeared in the Carboniferous period, about 360 million years ago to 300 million years ago. It was during this period that the amniotic egg developed, giving creatures domination of the terrestrial landscape to the present.
The Amphibian Egg
The amphibian egg -- termed anamniotic -- is largely similar to the fish egg. The egg is composed of a series of jellylike layers that protect the developing embryo from desiccation, pathogens and, to a limited extent, predators. Surrounding the embryo is a structure called the vitelline membrane. Oxygen and carbon dioxide diffuse passively through this structure, enabling the developing frog or salamander to breathe. Because of the lack of an outer shell, the egg must be deposited in the water or a very damp location to prevent drying out.
The Amniotic Egg
In contrast to the simple anamniotic or amphibian egg, the amniotic egg contains a number of distinct structures. At the innermost part of the egg, the embryo is suspended by the amniotic fluid, which is surrounded by a membrane called the amnion. The allantois deals with waste and gas exchange and, together with the nutritious egg yolk, connects to and partially surrounds the embryo. The chorion surrounds all of these structures and separates them from the albumin -- the egg whites. All of these components are enclosed in an outer shell. The shell is calcified in most lizards, snakes, turtles, birds and crocodilians; however, animals who give birth to live young enclose their young in non-calcified flexible shells that rupture near the time of birth.
Amniotic Freedom
Whereas most frogs and salamanders are bound to waterscapes for reproductive purposes, the development of the amniotic egg allowed creatures to venture far from the water. As animals did this, they filled empty niches on land that weren't accessible to the amphibians. These animals are also better able to protect their eggs, as they can bury them or place them in hidden locations. Once on land, further diversification took place as the animals adapted to a plethora of terrestrial food sources; amniotes could eat terrestrial plants; perhaps more importantly, the insects that had already colonized the land.
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Varying Fertilization
Most frogs and salamanders engage in external fertilization; as a female deposits eggs in the water, the male releases sperm to fertilize them. The development of amniotic eggs freed animals from having to deposit their eggs in the water, but it came at a cost: External fertilization of shelled eggs is not possible. The shell of a reptile's egg is impervious to sperm, so the eggs must be fertilized before they have formed this layer and are deposited. This caused 'intromittent' organs to evolve, allowing males to internally fertilize females.
References (5)
Photo Credits
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Every time I make scrambled eggs, I end up with water on the plate that leaks out from the eggs. What am I doing wrong that I've never had this happen with eggs I didn't make?The way I do it is the way my mom showed me when I was a kid, which is:Whisk some eggs, add milk/salt/pepper. Pour into pan on medium heat, move around for a few minutes until nice and firmed up. Sometimes I grate cheese into it as it cooks.
I turn the heat off, and all of a sudden they're watery. What am I doing wrong?. You want to take them off the heat when they are still very wet looking.I'm sorry, but no. I'm sick of hearing people talk about cooking eggs as if there is only one way to cook eggs. I do not like my eggs 'creamy' and uncooked and running all over the plate.
I like to eat my eggs when they are firm, fluffy, and when they are large curds. That means I don't take my eggs off the stove when they are 'very wet looking' I take them off when they are a little wet looking.Everyone has their preference and let's be honest, they really don't cook all that much once you take them off fire. In an early episode of Good Eats, Alton tells us that watery eggs aren't so much because of high heat, but because of being cooked too long under high heat. However, if the heat is too low, you'll get a different texture of scrambled egg. Some people prefer this though, look into soft scrambled eggs if you'd like to try that.If you want to go the medium heat route, that's fine.
The trick is to learn how to cook them JUST enough, and not a moment more. Start with butter in the pan, and at first just push the eggs around. As they start to firm up, switch from pushing them around to trying to gather the eggs all into the center. At some point, start trying to fold the eggs over on themselves rather than stir.
Once you can actually pick up the eggs and flip them as a single mass, they're almost done. What I do is keep flipping them very frequently, so that the eggs only stay in contact with the pan for a few seconds at a time. You'll find that the eggs will go from seemingly undercooked to just about perfect in a single flip, so when that happens take them off the heat immediately and serve. Remember that eggs continue to cook off the heat so don't wait until its totally dry in the pan.
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