Like all cells, human eggs are subject to mutations
CC Studio/Science Photo Library
Research indicates that human eggs may be shielded from certain types of mutations associated with aging. In a recent study, scientists discovered that as women age, there are no signs of accumulating mutations in the mitochondrial DNA of their egg cells.
“When we consider age-related mutations, we typically think about older individuals having more mutations compared to younger ones,” notes Kateryna Makova from Pennsylvania State University. “However, this assumption doesn’t always hold true.”
Mitochondria, which provide the primary energy source for the body’s cells, are inherited solely from the mother. While mitochondrial DNA mutations are generally benign, they can sometimes result in complications that impact muscles and neurons, particularly due to their high energy demands. “Oocytes” [egg cells] serve as this biological reservoir,” explains Ruth Lehmann from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who was not part of this study.
Prior research has shown that older mothers tend to pass down more chromosomal mutations, leading to the general assumption that a similar pattern exists with mitochondrial DNA mutations. To investigate this, Makova and her team utilized DNA sequencing to identify new mutations across 80 eggs sourced from 22 women aged 20 to 42 years.
The findings revealed that mitochondrial mutations in female eggs do not actually escalate with advancing age, unlike those found in salivary and blood cells. “It seems we have evolved a mechanism that mitigates the accumulation of mutations, allowing for their replication later in life,” remarks Makova.
Previous research has indicated that mitochondrial DNA mutations in macaque eggs showed an increase while their reproductive capacity remained stable until the animal reached about nine years of age. “It would be worthwhile to also study younger women. This could apply to humans as well,” comments team member Barbara Arbetuber from Penn State University.
Egg cells do not dispose of waste like other cells.
Sebastian Kauritzki / Aramie
Human eggs appear to manage waste differently than other cell types.
All women are born with a limited supply of egg cells, or oocytes, expected to last around 50 years. This duration is remarkably extended for a single cell. Certain human cells, including brain and retinal cells, can persist for a lifetime, but the innate processes that facilitate their function often lead to gradual damage over time.
Cells require protein recycling as part of their housekeeping, but this comes with a price. The energy spent during this process can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which inflict random damage on the cells. “This background damage is ever-present,” notes Elvan Beke from the Spanish Genome Regulation Center. “An increase in ROS correlates with increased damage.”
However, it appears that healthy eggs circumvent this issue. To investigate this phenomenon, Beke and her team examined human eggs under a microscope. The cells were immersed in a fluid containing a fluorescent dye that binds to acidic cellular components known as lysosomes, which are considered “recycling plants.” Gabriele Zaffagnini from the University of Cologne, Germany, was involved in this study.
The bright dyes indicated that the lysosomes containing waste in human eggs demonstrated less activity compared to similar structures in other human cells or small mammalian egg cells, such as those from mice. Zaffagnini and his colleagues theorize that this may serve a self-preservation purpose.
According to Zaffagnini, reducing the waste recycling process might be one of several strategies employed by human egg cells to maintain their extended lifespan. Beke suggests that human oocytes appear to “put the brakes on everything” in order to minimize damage, as all cellular functions slow down in these eggs, thereby lowering the production of harmful ROS.
Slowing the protein recycling mechanism seems beneficial for egg cell health, and failure to do so could explain the prevalence of unhealthy oocytes. “This insight might help explain why human oocytes become dysfunctional after a certain age,” states M-Re from Yale University School of Medicine. “This could lead to a broader understanding of the challenges faced by human oocytes,” he adds.
Fluorescent dyes highlight human egg cells, showcasing components
such as mitochondria (orange) and DNA (light blue).
Gabriele Zaffagnini/Centro de Regulación Genómica
Evaluating egg cell health in this manner could enhance fertility therapies. “It’s well-known that protein degradation is vital for cell survival, directly affecting fertility,” explains Beke, who is focused on researching healthy egg cells. There are ongoing comparisons between oocytes and cells from individuals encountering fertility issues. “Elevated ROS levels correlate with poor IVF outcomes,” she states.
Research on human egg cells is still in its early stages due to inherent complexities. “They are hard to manipulate due to sample constraints,” comments Beke. Seri mentions that this is one of several “layers” complicating egg cell studies, including regulatory limitations and funding challenges.
Zaffagnini believes that overcoming these obstacles could lead to “truly astonishing” discoveries. “It’s certainly worth pursuing,” he concludes.
The spotted lanternfly, an invasive species that damages leaves and first identified in the US a decade ago, is gradually moving across the East Coast and into the Midwest. Be cautious of its spread.
However, researchers are now employing new methods to combat its expansion—specially trained dogs skilled at detecting insect eggs before they hatch.
Since late last year, four dogs have been scouring parks in the Cleveland area, searching for trees, shrubs, park benches, rocks, and egg masses hidden near bridge supports. Each cluster of eggs can yield 30-50 spotted lanternflies.
An Australian Shepherd Cattle Dog Mix belonging to Gail Samco from Rio discovered a cluster of spotted lanternfly egg masses on a tree in Garfield Heights, Ohio, on May 5th. sue ogrocki/ap file
To date, the dog has uncovered over 4,000 egg masses. This has aided in controlling an insect population that threatens crops worth approximately 200,000 dollars, including grapes, fruit trees, hops, and hardwoods, according to Connie Hausman, senior conservation science manager at Cleveland Metropark.
In just a few hours in April, the dog located about 1,100 egg clusters at the Metroparks Zoo in Cleveland, Hausman noted.
She emphasized that it’s not only the dogs that can be trained for this task.
“All of them have excellent noses, but not every dog qualifies,” she explained. “They had to undergo testing to demonstrate their abilities.”
Page Malone with her Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Bronco, searching for a cluster of spotted lanternfly eggs on May 5 in Garfield Heights, Ohio. sue ogrocki/ap file
These dogs were trained as part of a research initiative by a team at Virginia Tech, focusing on curbing the spread of this pest, which originates from East Asia and is identifiable by its unique black-spotted, bright red wings.
The four dogs operating in Cleveland, owned by local residents, were already trained in scent detection before collaborating with Virginia Tech to hone their skills in identifying spotted lanternfly eggs.
Whenever the dogs find a new cluster of eggs, they are rewarded with a treat from their handler who then collects the egg masses.
The Egg Drop Challenge is a time-honored tradition for many physics students. Participants often wrap eggs in cotton balls, tape, and various materials before dropping them from a school rooftop. Anyone who’s taken part knows how challenging it can be to design a structure that keeps the eggs intact upon impact. (That wasn’t my finest creation back in middle school!)
After the eggs break, teachers often share insights about the physics involved, suggesting that eggs dropped vertically tend to crack less than those resting flat.
But is that really accurate?
Following her experience with the egg drop challenge, Tal Cohen, an engineering professor at MIT, began to question whether traditional claims about falling eggs held up under scrutiny.
“It relates to the static behavior of the egg,” she remarked. “The dynamics of the impact are quite different.”
To validate her hypothesis, she conducted tests in the lab with eggs. Her findings turned out to be more complex; Thursday’s paper in the journal Communications discusses how eggs resting horizontally are actually less prone to cracking.
To carry out their experiments, the research team procured over 200 eggs from Costco (an advantage when prices were lower in 2023). They employed devices to crush some eggs and measure the force necessary to crack the shell. Remarkably, they found that eggshells broke under similar forces, regardless of whether the eggs were horizontal or vertical.
Next, they actually dropped the eggs. For testing purposes, they dropped them from a modest height of about 8 mm, allowing them to observe varying outcomes. When dropped from a greater height, all the eggs broke, regardless of their orientation.
Significant differences in outcomes were noted. Eggs dropped on their sides were much less likely to crack. Upon landing, their shells could compress, absorbing some of the impact. Conversely, eggs landing on their ends exhibited more rigid shells with no similar flexibility.
Joseph E. Bonavia, a graduate student in engineering at MIT and co-author of the paper, noted this similarity to human physiology.
“When falling from a height, you want to avoid locking your knees, as that can lead to fractures,” he explained. “Instead, you bend your knees—much like the eggs do.”
The way we typically cook eggs may have contributed to the misconception that eggshells are most fragile, according to Brendan M. Uniquewicch, another MIT graduate student and co-author. We often break eggs at their midpoint, which results in a long crack that allows for clean separation. As these experiments illustrate, breaking at that point causes the shell to cave inward—an undesirable outcome for omelet-making.
Indeed, the experiments challenge our intuitions about how objects behave when they fall, Dr. Cohen noted. This highlights the importance for engineering students to remain open to questioning established beliefs.
Has anyone tasted one of these eggs? Due to university policy, researchers can’t consume experimental materials in the lab. However, Dr. Cohen’s dog enjoyed a hearty meal under such restrictions.
A recent survey published in the journal Communication Physics reveals that eggs are more likely to crack when they fall on their sides.
What implications does this have for cracking eggs? Eggs for breakfast? It may not matter significantly. The middle section remains intact while the Golden Fork fills with escaping whites.
Scientists suggest that this knowledge could aid in cooking stubborn eggs: dropping them horizontally may prevent a destructive crack that leads to a messy, cloudy interior.
Common belief holds that eggs are strongest at their edges, as demonstrated by their packaging in cartons. It’s thought that the curved base of the egg helps distribute force and minimize impact.
However, during compression tests, scientists found that eggs cracked with the same force regardless of the direction of pressure.
“The fun started when I expected one outcome and got another,” remarked Hudson Borja da Rocha from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who was involved in the experiment.
The researchers conducted simulations, releasing eggs from three heights in both horizontal and vertical orientations, ranging down to 0.4 inches (10 mm).
The outcome? Fewer eggs broke when dropped horizontally.
“Conventional wisdom holds that vertical eggs are stronger than they appear, but this research shows otherwise,” stated Mark Myers, a materials scientist at the University of California, San Diego, who was not part of the study.
The research found that the equator of the egg is more flexible and can absorb more energy from a fall before breaking.
Eggs are often used in at-home experiments for egg drop challenges, which has partly inspired this new research. It remains uncertain whether these findings will help safeguard these delicate eggs.
Tal Cohen, a co-author from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, noted that it’s somewhat counterintuitive that the rectangular sides of the egg can better endure falls.
Countless broken eggs illustrate “the bravery to question these widely accepted notions.”
In the early hours of Donald Trump’s inauguration, a man wearing a long black cape and a face mask moved his cart on the Oregon sidewalk. He headed to the Tesla showroom in Salem, where his cart appeared to be packed with Molotov cocktails, according to court documents. He took out the handmade explosives one by one, set them on fire, and lobbed them at a glass wall dealer.
By the time Salem police arrived, the showroom windows had shattered, a fire had burned in front of the sidewalk, and a nearby Tesla sedan had flapped, and Vandal’s suspicions had fled. The entire scene was caught up in security footage, according to affidavits from special agents of the Alcohol Bureau, cigarettes, firearms, and explosives (ATF). The showroom’s general manager estimated $500,000 in damages, with seven vehicles struggling and one completely destroyed.
Above: There is a bullet hole left in the Tesla dealer window Bottom: Damaged Tesla Dealer Photo: Salem Police Station
The vandalism incident has been one of dozens of people struck the charging stations of Tesla dealers, cars, and electric car makers nationwide since Trump took office. Many have an explicit message in protest against Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO and senior adviser to the president. Musk was the head of the informal so-called “Doctors of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), making it privileged to overhaul the federal government. It ordered tens of thousands of employees to be fired, cut agency budgets and eliminated the entire department. His hard-pressed approach, which aims to be institutions such as the National Weather Service, the Ministry of Education, and the Social Security Agency, has elicited backlash and criticism nationwide.
Thousands have taken part in peaceful protests at Tesla showrooms in cities and towns across the country. For the 54 days since the inauguration, these protests have grown into a wealth of demonstrations from a handful of people in cities like San Francisco, “Hey, hey, Ho Ho, Elon Musk have to go,” with live bands, Hitler’s outfits as musks, and the presence of a large police force. They are also across the Atlantic, demonstrating in the UK and Germany.
As protests have increased, so has vandalism against Tesla brick and more personal vehicles. The Guardian tracked at least three separate incidents, including Molotov cocktails. This is a coordinated theft of nearly 50 Tesla tires and spray-painted Swastica at Tesla facilities from New York to New Mexico. At nearly 20 Tesla showrooms and charging stations, dozens of owners have been giving birth to cars, poop, and hit with singles of craft cheese.
Like the protests, the dirt and destruction of the Tesla facility have also become international, with sedans and cyber trucks targeting at least five countries. In France, Toulouse authorities reported it A dozen cars were torched At the Tesla showroom earlier this month. Another showroom in the Netherlands It’s been doodled Slogans such as “Fuck Off Fascist” and other slogans that called the mask the Nazis. One destruction just as far away as Tasmania I wrote it “Want to drive a swasticar” across the dealer window?
Musk and Tesla did not reply to requests for comment. Musk, in response to police reports from Tesla Bandarism in Massachusetts Posted on x “AKA vandalism that damages another person’s property is not free speech!” Musk also reposted an interview with Valerie Costa, organizer of a non-violent Tesla Takedown demonstration, accusing her of “committing a crime.”
Earlier this week, Trump said he would label the violence against Tesla’s showrooms as domestic terrorist attacks as he was standing next to Musk in front of the White House. “I’m going to stop that,” Trump said. “Because they’re damaging a great American company.”
Trump and Musk will speak to the press from within Tesla in Washington, D.C., on March 11, 2025, in Washington, DC. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
A day later, House Speaker Mike Johnson supported the proposed designation. “Congress will investigate the sources of these attacks and help the DOJ & FBI to ensure that the responsible person is charged to the fullest extent of the law,” Johnson said. Posted on x owned by the social media platform mask.
Mask thanked Johnson with X, adding both a salute and an American flag emoji.
Throws Molotov and fires semi-automatic
He returned in Salem, a month after the suspect first threw a Molotov cocktail at a Tesla dealer. This time he was armed with what police believe to be a semi-automatic rifle.
At about 4am, surveillance footage shows him firing multiple rounds into an empty Tesla showroom, shattering windows again, and hitting a car parked inside the building. Investigators collected bullet fragments, recorded surveillance video and sent remaining Molotov cocktails to the FBI lab in Alabama for fingerprint dust. No one was injured.
ATF agents believe that both cases are linked to Adam Lansky, a Salem resident. Lansky’s lawyers did not reply to requests for comment.
In Loveland, a small town in Colorado, police rushed to Tesla’s showroom in response to a report of a cybertruck fire on January 29th. Under the vehicle they found a consumed Molotov cocktail.
Similar to the Salem case, the suspect in Loveland was returned to the scene, according to court documents. Four days later, the word “Nazi” was spray-painted on the dealer’s sign. Over the next few weeks, the showroom was targeted three more times with Molotov cocktails and graffiti. Lucy Grace Nelson, a resident of the nearby town, has been charged in a series of cases. Her attorney declined to comment on the case.
Police in North Charleston, South Carolina are also investigating vandalism that threw a Molotov cocktail at a Tesla charging station earlier this week, burning both it and itself, forcing staff to cut down on the station’s power. The word “Long Live Ukraine” was spray painted in red on the pavement next to the charging station. Associated Press. The incident was a move that Musk hugged after Trump rewind our support for Ukraine in the war with Russia.
A man in black throwing a Molotov cocktail. Photo: Alcohol Bureau, cigarettes, firearms, explosives (ATF)
Also, careful fires have been set up at Tesla showrooms and charging stations across the United States, where Molotov is not available. Earlier this month, seven Tesla charging stations flare up overnight in Littleton, Massachusetts. According to CBS. Police found the first station thick with dark smoke and flames. The fire was also set up for a rural Tesla facility in New Mexico and an electric vehicle that owns an electric vehicle in Seattle, Washington this week.
The Seattle Fire Department informed the Guardian that it discovered four cyber trucks were engulfed in flames when they arrived at the scene last Sunday around 11pm. Local news station KOMO News I flew a drone over the wreckage The film then took a photo where a single cyber truck was reduced to “more than a crumbed metal chunk.” According to Komo, the other was burning badly, so the windows melted. Seattle police declined to comment as an investigation is ongoing.
Reports of spray-painted Teslas, showrooms, and charging stations have been ramped nationwide. In Salt Lake City, local police say the word Swastika and the word “Nazi” was discovered both at Tesla Service Center and at another charging station. So did the black Swastika Painted on the charging station In Myers, a small mountain town in California. In Ithaca, New York, along with Swasticus, they were “every Hitler” and “Tesla is a fascist.” It is displayed on a supercharger.
At the Tesla facility in Lynwood, Washington, the vandals targeted a cluster of six cybertrucks, but no other vehicles were touched there.
“We observed red spray paint on each cyber truck,” reads Lynwood’s police report obtained by the Guardian. “The doodles wrote “Fuck Elon”
The standard chicken egg available in stores is a remarkable natural gift, filled with nutrients and incredibly versatile for cooking. However, they all look the same, even the chocolate ones have the same size and shape.
Fortunately, there are numerous fascinating examples of eggs in nature. From baby toads emerging from their mother’s back like in a sci-fi movie to strange spiral structures washing up on shorelines, eggs have evolved unique methods for various creatures to reproduce and safeguard their offspring.
So, which animal lays the most peculiar eggs? Take a look at our collection.
1. Surinam toad
Surinamese toad eggs formed on the back of a female – Image courtesy of Getty
The Surinamese toad, a fully aquatic frog species primarily found in South America, exhibits a fascinating reproductive process. During breeding, the female releases 60 to 100 eggs, each of which is fertilized individually by the male. These eggs are then formed into a honeycomb structure and attached to the female’s back ensuring their protection until hatching, which typically occurs between 4 to 6 months later.
2. Stink bug
An adult female Antytheuchus stink bug guarding her eggs – Image courtesy of Getty
Stink bugs, also known as shield bugs, are insects with sharp teeth and a defensive spray. Female shield bugs lay eggs of various colors to aid in camouflage. This species produces colorful and intriguing eggs.
3. Whelk
Whelk egg case on the beach – Image courtesy of Getty
Whelks, large sea snails found around the UK coast, lay up to 2,000 eggs in a spongy ball or spiral structure. Once hatched, these unique structures float to the water surface and often wash up on beaches.
Check out the rest of the list for more bizarre eggs!
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