SPIDER SILK...

Today I was feeling nostalgic so I went to my old house to take a dip in the ocean of memories… I opened the lock and ahhhhhhh…Helpppppppp, I screamed. Mom came shouting and rescued me of that 8-Legged air breathing monster The Spider…. Spiders made my room full of its creations!!!!! Ya one of the best creations in this world i.e. Spider Web…

The main thing that distinguishes spiders from the rest of the animal kingdom is their ability to spin silk, an extremely strong fiber. Spider silk is a protein fiber spun by spiders. Spiders use their silk to make webs or other structures, which function as nets to catch other animals, or as nests or cocoons for protection for their offspring. They can also suspend themselves using their silk. A few insects produce similar material (silkworms, for example), but nothing comes close to the spinning capabilities of spiders. Most species build their entire lives around this unique ability.

Though often feared, most spiders are harmless and actually quite impressive considering the strength and durability of the tangled webs they weave. Spider silk is extremely strong -- The silk that spiders produce is five to six times stronger than high-grade steel by weight, and is stronger than any known natural or synthetic fiber on Earth. Spider silk also has the ability to stretch about 30-percent longer than its original length without breaking, which makes it very resilient. Spider silk is more durable and elastic than the strongest man-made fiber, Kevlar, which is used to fill bulletproof vests.

Now let me tell you about their brilliant spinning process. Spiders have special glands that secrete silk proteins (made up of chains of amino acids), which are dissolved in a water-based solution. The spider pushes the liquid solution through long ducts, leading to microscopic spigots on the spider's spinnerets (special jointed organs by means of which they spin their webs). Spiders typically have two or three spinneret pairs, located at the rear of the abdomen. Spiders can also vary fiber consistency by adjusting the spigots to form smaller or larger strands.

                                    Argiope bruennich, an orb web weaver, spinning silk

­Most spiders have multiple silk glands, which secrete different types of silk material optimized for different purposes. By winding different silk varieties together in varying proportions, spiders can form a wide range of fiber material. If the production of spider silk ever becomes industrially viable, it could replace Kevlar and be used to make a diverse range of items such as:
Bullet-proof clothing, wear-resistant lightweight clothing, ropes, nets, seat belts, parachutes, rust-free panels on motor vehicles or boats, biodegradable bottles, bandages, surgical thread, artificial tendons or ligaments, supports for weak blood vessels.


Anushri Joshi

Delhi University