The Amazing Potential of Spider Silk
When we think of spiders, what do we usually think of? Webs! A sticky, dusty mess of webs always getting into corners. We don’t usually think of spider thread’s utility in the manufacture of clothing or band aids. But when we look into it, spider silks are an incredibly useful material that has extraordinary potential. Why is spider silk such a useful material? Spider silk is unique. Spiders actually produce seven different types of silks; the silk of most interest to scientists is called dragline silk. This is the silk used to create the framework of a spider’s web. Its strength lies in the hundreds of protein fibers stacked and linked together like building blocks. This structure gives dragline silk a toughness and elasticity that is one of a kind—stronger than Kevlar, more flexible than nylon, and with a thinner diameter than a strand of human hair. Potential utilization of…
