Showing Results for "albumen"

See Also:

• a variation of albumin.

albumen

American  

[al-byoo-muhn] / ælˈbju mən /

noun

1. the white of an egg.

2. Botany. the nutritive matter around the embryo in a seed.

3. Biochemistry. albumin.

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albumen British  

/ -mɛn, ˈælbjʊmɪn /

noun

1. the white of an egg; the nutritive and protective gelatinous substance, mostly an albumin, that surrounds the yolk

2. a rare name for endosperm

3. a variant spelling of albumin

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albumen Scientific  

/ ăl-byo̅o̅′mən /

1. The white of the egg of certain animals, especially birds and reptiles, consisting mostly of the protein albumin. The albumen supplies water to the growing embryo and also cushions it. Albumen is used commercially in making wine, vinegars, lithographs, dyes, and pharmaceuticals.

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Etymology

Origin of albumen

1590–1600; < Late Latin, equivalent to alb ( us ) white, with stem in -ū- + -men noun suffix

Explanation

The clear, gooey part of an egg that turns white when cooked is called albumen. It's what gives meringues their fluffy texture and cakes their moisture. The word albumen comes from the Latin word albus, meaning "white." When cooked, an egg's albumen, which surrounds the yolk, turns white. In fact, the albumen of an egg is called the "egg white." Albumen is high in protein. The type of protein in albumen is also called albumen, often spelled albumin. That type of water-soluble protein is in other things, too, like blood, muscle, and milk. In plants, albumen is the nutritive matter inside seeds. The albumen in bird and reptile eggs provides protection and nourishment to the embryo of a fertilized egg.