A preliminary exploration of the physiology and morphology of the zebrafish embryo (ZFE) during the late-blastula and early-gastrula stages through its electrical properties was performed, applying the electrorotation (ROT) technique. This method, based on induced polarizability at the interfaces, was combined with an analytical spherical shell model to obtain the best fit of empirical data and the desired information, providing a means of understanding the role of different membranes. Suspended in two solutions of low conductivity, the major compartments of the ZFE were electrically characterized, considering morphological data from both observed records and data from the literature. Membrane integrity was also analyzed for dead embryos. The low permeability and relatively high permittivity obtained for the chorion probably reflected both its structural characteristics and external conditions. Reasonable values were derived for perivitelline fluid according to the influx of water that occurs after the fertilization of the oocyte. The so-called yolk membrane, which comprises three different and contiguous layers at the epiboly stage, showed atypical electrical values of the membrane, as did the yolk core with a relatively low permittivity. The internal morphological complexity of the embryo itself could be addressed in future studies by developing an accurate geometric model.
Keywords: electrical properties; electrorotation; epiboly stage; membrane permeability; multi-shell spherical model; zebrafish embryo.