The point on the surface of an egg cell centred over the animal hemisphere—the half of the egg containing the nucleus and the least amount of yolk. It lies opposite the vegetal pole, centred over the vegetal hemisphere, which contains the bulk of the yolk. The two poles, and the asymmetric distribution of yolk and other substances, define the front–rear axis of the embryo as the fertilized egg divides and determine the pattern of subsequent cleavage into daughter cells. See also cytoplasmic segregation.