You see a complicated circular web that glows golden in the sunlight. A golden orb weaving spider has woven another masterpiece. You accidentally walk through it. The strands break and feel sticky. For a horsefly though, even flying at 90 mph, the web is strong enough to stop it. The spider uses its web to catch flies and other insects, such as moths and beetles.
Scientists have been fascinated by the strength of golden orb weaving spider web silk. They have tested spider silk in various ways to find that some types of spider silk are five times stronger than steel. Some types are also stronger than Kevlar®, the material used to make bulletproof vests. Unlike steel, spider silk is elastic and organic (compounds that contain carbon and hydrogen and other elements such as oxygen and nitrogen). These are two properties that also interest scientists and engineers.
Why is the silk so strong? When a spider weaves its web, it stretches each strand of silk. This helps increase the number of bonds between proteins, making the silk stronger. Another property that interests scientists is that silk is biodegradable (can be broken down naturally, such as by bacteria or other living things).
Who else uses spider silk? Birds use old strands of spider silk when they build nests. Spider silk has been used by people throughout history to stop bleeding wounds. It has been used to make fishing lines and nets. More recently, scientists and engineers are researching and testing the use of spider silk for even more purposes. Could it be used to make rope, surgical thread, and artificial tendons or ligaments? One stumbling block in the development of these materials is that it is difficult to obtain large amounts of spider silk quickly. So, scientists are learning more about how spider silk gets its properties to mimic the qualities when making synthetic (made by humans through chemical processes to mimic something made in nature) thread. Fake spider webs may be used as spooky decorations in the fall. But one day, spider silk may be used to make clothes and shoes or to help bone regenerate after a fracture.
What Can You Do? Would you wear a shirt made of spider silk?
Photo Credit: Edwin Remsberg/Alamy Stock Photo
