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Well it's now Tuesday and that means it is indestructible stuff day today's stuff is spider silk.
If you have every walked into s spiderweb you will know it is super sticky and stretchy and of course strong.
All spiders make silk to do useful jobs such as spinning webs, wrapping up prey, dangling from ceilings and carrying eggs and it's one of the toughest natural material there is.
Because it is so tough, spider silk can be very useful to us as well, with it we can make things such as ropes, clothes and parachutes.
Spiders make silk as liquid inside their bodies, it forms strands as they push it ou from their abdomens.
This natural wonder has many cool properties, it's tough but light, some say weight for weight it's harder then steel.
It is incredibly elastic stretching up to four times it's original length without breaking.
It gets stronger when it is wet, helping spiderwebs hold up under heavy drops of dew.
It keep its strength and stretchiness even at extreme low and high temperatures.
The spiders with the strongest silk are Darwin's bark spider and the golden orb weaver, which spins a gold coloured silk.
Fascinating to look at the webs but I freak out if I walk into one by accident. LOL!
ReplyDeleteThank for that Jo-Anne.
ReplyDeleteSpiders are such amazing creatures.
The way spiders spin their webs from one end to the other is fascinating.
ReplyDeleteDearest Jo-Anne,
ReplyDeleteYes, their web is very strong indeed and it makes you almost bounce back...
You can read my 2013 post: Our Golden Silk Spider aka Giant Wood Spider with a link under post about golden cape spun by these spiders! https://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2013/08/our-golden-silk-spider-aka-giant-wood.html
Hugs,
Mariette
I tell you we can knock a web down one night and by the next morning it is built back up!
ReplyDeleteThe gold one is cool. Never knew that. I know it's amazing stuff, but it doesn't stop me from waving mail and packages in front of me in the hopes of knocking them down on my way to the doors of people's homes.
ReplyDeleteNo one likes a mouthful of web.
Spider webs are a work of art and industry and beauty too.
ReplyDeleteBetween one day last week beside me in the loo and this sunday at the computer, I'm about fed with their dangling crap...
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that spiders make silk as liquid, and I sure would love to see that gold colored web with the sun beating down on it, bet it's beautiful.
ReplyDeleteRita.....Same here
ReplyDeleteMargaret D.......Yes they are
Nancy......I agree
Mareitte.......Cool
Sandie..........Yeah so true
Juli.......I get that, me too
Katie.....That they are
Chris......Yeah I expect so
Karen......Neither did I
🕷
ReplyDelete