Monday, October 27, 2008

Silk Makers In Nature

Caterpillars, centipedes, worms, and scorpions all make silk but spiders are the only species that depend on silk for catching their prey.

Depending on the species, spiders have up to seven silk making glands that produce a large number of different kinds of silk for different purposes.

Silk from one gland may be used to wrap prey, while silk from another gland may be used to spin scaffolding. The female spider even has a special silk she uses for covering her eggs. The silk flows to the spinnerets out of each gland as a liquid.

These organs, on the rear part of the spider's abdomen, are movable and have nozzles at the end. The nozzles on the spinnerets can be used alone, or combined in order to make a blend of different silks.

The spider then draws the silk from the spinneret. The faster the spider draws the silk, the thinner and stronger it is. As you can see, the spider has been given a lot of versatility in making silk.

Source: Creation Moments.

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