Inert gas effects on embryonic development.

It had been found in previous investigations that hatchability of fertile chicken eggs is reduced to 50% or less of controls if incubation takes place in a low nitrogen atmosphere containing He. Although these results suggest some role for nitrogen in embryogenesis, it is possible that a requirement exists for an inert molecule closer in physical characteristics to nitrogen than is He. An investigation is conducted involving incubation at ground level pressure in a gas mixture in which the 79% inert component was either neon or argon. The effect of varying combinations of nitrogen, helium, and oxygen was also studied.