Why Egg Yolk Is Yellow

Why egg yolk is yellow (or red) (Blount et al. 2000) -- Egg yolk in birds is colored yellowish-red by carotenoids. Until recently, there has been no adaptive explanation of why many egg-laying animals provision their eggs so richly with carotenoids. It now appears that, in developing birds, carotenoids protect vulnerable tissues against damage caused by free radicals. Athough embryonic tissues depend on oxidizable, unsaturated fatty acids in yolk, their abundance makes the tissues susceptible to peroxidation caused by reactive oxidative metabolites and by free radicals, which are produced as normal by-products of metabolism. Protection against lipid peroxidation in young birds is afforded by the actions of yolk-derived carotenoids and other antioxidants, like vitamin E. Antioxidants also protect passively-acquired antibodies (IgY; see above) against break-down. Thus, maternal investment in egg composition, including carotenoids, might have a greater influence on offspring viability than has been realized. The use of carotenoid pigments in the sexual displays of female birds might indicate their ability to produce high quality eggs and chicks.