HOW DO SILKWORMS MAKE SILK ?
Silkworms are caterpillars of the Bombyx mori moth.
Silkworms make silk by creating a sticky liquid protein called fibroin in their sericteries which are special salivary glands. The moths then release the fibroin through two small holes in their jaws called spinnerets.
The pair of continuous threads of fibroin hardens when coming into contact with the air.
Then the silkworm then produces a bonding agent called sericin from two other glands to hold both filaments together.
The bonding agent consists of digested leaves and protein produced by the worm.
Silkworms are caterpillars of the Bombyx mori moth.
Silkworms make silk by creating a sticky liquid protein called fibroin in their sericteries which are special salivary glands. The moths then release the fibroin through two small holes in their jaws called spinnerets.
The pair of continuous threads of fibroin hardens when coming into contact with the air.
Then the silkworm then produces a bonding agent called sericin from two other glands to hold both filaments together.
The bonding agent consists of digested leaves and protein produced by the worm.
Silkworms produce up to 1,200 silken threads within a 72 hour time period, which results in a soft, silver, perfectly formed cocoon.
When constructing their cocoons, the silkworms move in a figure-8 motion up to a shocking 300,000 times and end up producing around 1 kilometer of filament.
When constructing their cocoons, the silkworms move in a figure-8 motion up to a shocking 300,000 times and end up producing around 1 kilometer of filament.
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Once formed, the cocoon can be placed in either boiling water or exposed to steam or hot air, This process prevents the pupae from hatching because the action of pupae hatching from the cocoon destroys the thread used to harvest the silk. Another reason why the cocoon is heated is that the temperature softens the sericin or the binding agent between the threads. It takes the deaths of about 2500 caterpillars to make a single pound of raw silk. |
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Sericulture is when female moths each lay from 300-400 pin-sized eggs for cultivation and then the eggs are incubated for 10 days. They feast on mulberry leaves for about 6 weeks until the silkworm has grown to about 3 inches in length and weighs nearly 10,000 times what it did when it hatched. The mulberry plant has always been associated with silk production although other plants can be fed to the moths. |
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The more "crinkly" fabrics are made with crepe, a fiber of sufficient strength made by twisting strands of raw silk together.
Sheer cloth is made with one single thread that is not disrupted in the production process.
Spun silk is consisted of broken filaments of thread that have been processed into a yarn.
Sheer cloth is made with one single thread that is not disrupted in the production process.
Spun silk is consisted of broken filaments of thread that have been processed into a yarn.