Posted on 08/11/2005 11:25:17 AM PDT by areeves79
Scientists have uncovered the genetic sequence for one of the strongest silks that spiders produce, a discovery that could one day be used to make super spider-silk products for humans.
Not all spider silk are created equal. For example, spiders use dragline silk to create the scaffolding for their webs, but another type of silk, known as capture silk, is used to fill out the web. While dragline silk is strong, capture silk is more elastic and also sticky, making it better suited for trapping insects that stray too close.
In total, spiders produce approximately seven different types of silk, which they make using special silk glands. The silk threads are spooled out of the external parts of the glands, known as spinnerets. Spiders often have numerous pairs of spinnerets, which they use to produce different types of silk.
In addition to catching and storing food, spiders also use silk for movement and for reproduction.
One of the strongest and most durable types of spider silk is produced only by sexually mature females and is used to construct protective cocoons for their eggs.
“The protein of the egg-case fibers has a different function altogether from that of the other silks,” said Jessica Garb, a postdoctoral researcher and a co-author on the study.
“Egg-case silk has to last a long time and therefore must be durable under a wide variety of conditions, from freezing to very high temperatures. It needs to be strong enough to protect the eggs from threats such as predators, parasites and molds,” Garb said.
These properties could also make it ideally suited for human purposes.
“Collectively, spider silks are some of the toughest natural fibers known,” said Cheryl Hayashi, an assistant biology professor at the University of California, Riverside. “Imagine a fabric made from such a substance? It would be incredibly strong, flexible and ultimately, biodegradable.”
In addition to body armor, researchers are also working to develop spider-silk rope and spider-silk micro-sutures for use in surgery.
Using molecular biology lab techniques, Hayashi and Garb uncovered the sequence of molecules called amino acids for a major protein component in egg case silk known as Tusp1. Their finding is important because mechanical properties like the strength, elasticity and durability of a silk is determined by its amino acid sequence, and scientists have been successful in discovering only a handful of such sequences.
The researcher’s findings are detailed in the August 1 issue of the journal for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Eeek! A Black Widow!
You can always tell the webs that these gals leave behind; super strong and plenty sticky.
Hey, while we're at it, if Spiderman got his powers from a spider, how come his webs come out his wrists? Shouldn't it be more spider-like and come out...somewhere else?
Although if you DO want to see your idea brought to the screen, pick up SPIDER-BABE starring Misty Mundae. :o)
Parker's synthetic webbing was super-strong but it only lasted a few hours.
Spiders give me the severe heeby-geebies. But this is still really cool stuff.
Spider Man will always be my fave. A working-class superhero, with relationship, family, school and career issues. No billionaire he.
Peter's web fluid was/is a shear-thinning liquid (virtually solid until a shearing force is applied to it, rendering it fluid); the exact formula is as yet unknown, but is related to nylon. On contact with air, the long-chain polymer knits and forms an extremely tough, flexible fiber with extraordinary adhesive properties. The web fluid’s adhesive quality diminishes rapidly with exposure to air. (Where it does not make contact with air, such as the attachment disk of the web-shooter, it remains very adhesive.) After about 2 hours, certain imbibed ethers cause the solid form of the web fluid to dissolve into a powder. Because the fluid almost instantly sublimates from solid to liquid when under shear pressure, and is not adhesive in its anaerobic liquid/solid phase transition point, there is no clogging of the web-shooter’s parts. </geekboy mode>
Just the thing for the kids on a rainy afternoon, no doubt ;)
Out here (they can be plentiful), we've kind of trained ourselves not to walk too close to the walls or anyplace near subdued light at night.
Because, as all true nerds know, the Real spider man did not produce silk himself. Peter Parker, a chemical whiz, invented little gadgets that made the silk, which he attached to his wrists.
Thats what you get for relying on Hollywood for accurate information!
If I had Spider-Man's abilities, I'd find a way to turn it into $ billions so that I could finance my bat-cave.
And don't think I would discount the babe-magnet side of being a super-hero, either.
Anyone who lives by the code "With great power comes great responsiblity" is aces in my book!
I once read a parody of the old "Spiderman" song you know..
Spiderman,
Spiderman
Does whatever a spider can....
But this was for Iron Man (the armor wearing super hero.)
It went:
Iron Man,
Iron Man,
Does whatever an Iron can.
Presses pants
Really fine
Keeps those pleats
right in line
WATCHOUT! Here comes the Iron, man!
(kudos and credit to whoever it was the wrote that. Its probably been 15 years since I read it and it was so funny that I still remember it)!
Now if you could only explain how he fashioned it into a hang glider that time Doc Ock tossed him out of an airplane...
Not quite. ;o)
Considering the tortured relationships that Peter Parker went through, I would not rush to be a super hero for that reason....plenty of others, sure...but not that reason.
"If I had Spider-Man's abilities, I'd find a way to turn it into $ billions so that I could finance my bat-cave."
____________________________________________________________
You're missing the central lesson: whenever he tried to use his powers for profit, tragedy always resulted.
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