Abnormal characteristics of the blood from chick embryos maintained in "shell-less" culture.

Chick embryos were maintained in shell-less culture up to a total age of 15 days. The composition of their blood was analyzed together with the blood from coontrol embryos of comparable degree of differentiation. The blood from cultured embryos had lower hematocrit values; their serum contained a reduced concentration of proteins, phospholipids and total calcium and an increased concentration of inorganic phosphorus. In view of the reduced concentration of proteins and phospholipids, the concomitant hypocalcemia must represent, at least in part, a reduction in the binding capacity of the serum and not only a decrease in the ionic fraction of serum calcium.