A SPINNER’S SECRETS

A living fiber factory. All spiders spin silk, with glands that produce custom blends of proteins with different "motifs" that impart just the right properties—toughness, flexibility, stickiness, etc.—for a wide range of uses. Different silks make up distinct parts of a web, for example. O...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2017-10, Vol.358 (6361), p.292-292
Main Authors: Altounian, Valerie, Pennisi, Elizabeth, Service, Robert F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino Acid Motifs
Animals
FEATURES
Silk - chemistry
Silk - secretion
Spiders - anatomy & histology
Spiders - metabolism
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Summary:A living fiber factory. All spiders spin silk, with glands that produce custom blends of proteins with different "motifs" that impart just the right properties—toughness, flexibility, stickiness, etc.—for a wide range of uses. Different silks make up distinct parts of a web, for example. Other are used to wrap prey or encase eggs. As this graphic shows, the silks exit the abdomen through spigots on so-called spinnerets.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.358.6361.292