Orientation in Systems with Asymmetric Density Distribution

The hen's egg is a convenient and suitable model for biological systems in which mass is asymmetrically distributed. Under the influence of an acceleration field (such as provided by gravity on earth), such systems will become oriented, and this may have biological significance. However, depending upon the viscous and elastic properties of the system, some minimal force, i.e. a threshold, will be necessary for movement in the system. This threshold, and the restraining properties of the yolk-albumen boundary, have been evaluated for the hen's egg and are reported herein