The spider silk and its wonders

The spider silk and its wondersStan Antuza Gheorghe Asachi University10201Spider silk is one of the 7 great wonders of the animal kingdom. That a small animal, often less than a millimetre across can make a substance that we humans with all our technology are unable to reproduce, a substance that is tough, stronger and more flexible than anything else we can make is surely a humble reminder of the fact that nature created us and not the other way around.One of the most astounding thing about spiders is their ability to make silk, their webs amaze and fascinate us, but they are also used by us in some cultures. All spiders possess spinning glands and make silk, they use it for a safety dragline, to fly, for making a highly durable cocoon for their eggs, to line their homes, to trap their prey and to immobilise their victims.

The nature of silkSpider silk is both light and strong. Hillyard says "A typical strand of garden spider silk has a diametre of about 0.003 mm in diametre, compare this with silkworm silk which is 0.03 mm in diametre" or ten times as thick.Spiders can produce different kinds of silks, at least 7 or 8 different kinds. However generally individual spider species use 5 to 6 types or less.It is also generally accepted that spiders in the genusNephilaproduce the strongest draglines, however this may reflect their large size.

The Nephila spiderNevertheless the strength and resilience of spider silk has amazed people for thousands of years, reading around, on and off the web, we get a lot of facts about the strength of spider silk that sometimes seem contradictory, although they all agree that spider silk is way stronger than any other silk or natural material."Dragline spider silk is actually stronger than Kevlar synthetic fibre and Kevlar is several times stronger than steel," says polymer scientist David Tirrell."Spider silk is extremely strong -- it is about five times stronger than steel and twice as strong as Kevlar of the same weight. Spider silk also has the ability to stretch about 30-percent longer than its original length without breaking, which makes it very resilient."Silk absorbs moisture. The more water silk contains the less brittle and the more elastic it is. The range is from about 30% to 300% elasticity depending on the amount of water it contains.With all these things considered we learn that the tensile strength of spider silk under normal laboratory conditions is slightly less than steel if you compare it in terms of the threads diametre, but it is far greater than that of steel if you compare it in terms of the weight of the thread.It is an unusual substance in that it is quite acidic and is not attacked by bacteria or fungi.Silk is created as a proteinaceous liquid within special silk glands within the spider's abdomen.

Applications of spider silkIt could be used for treating nerve damage.Medical researchers are experimenting with spider silk as bandages for treating simple cuts and abrasions, as well as more serious conditions such as third degree burns.Some experts believe that spider silk could be made into something that could mimic the shape, size and elasticity of some of our ligaments.One potential application is the creation of bulletproof vests that are stronger and lighter than Kevlar.Spider silk coated with nanotubes can act as a humidity sensor, a strain sensor, an actuator (a device that acts as an artificial muscle, for lifting weights and more) and as an electrical wire, according to researchers.

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