Spider Behavior and Silk Production

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What is the primary reason for changing the procedure of obtaining silk from spiders?

To force the spider to climb and produce silk

To reduce the time required to obtain the silk

Because the spider's intention in each given condition was unknown (correct)

To improve the reproducibility of the silk's properties

What is the approximate length of silk obtained from one round of the forced spinning procedure?

500 m

1000 m

100 m

200 m (correct)

What is the function of the (A)n motif in spidroin 1?

Forms the nanocrystals

Contributes to the semi-crystalline microstructure

Creates the amorphous matrix

Creates the basic microstructure of the crystal part (beta-sheets) (correct)

What is the characteristic of the microstructure of spider silk?

Semi-crystalline Signup and view all the answers

What is the size of the nanocrystals in spider silk?

10 nm Signup and view all the answers

What is the orientation of the protein backbone in the crystals of spider silk?

Perpendicular to the slide Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the -GA-GPG- motif in spidroin 2?

Contributes to the semi-crystalline microstructure Signup and view all the answers

What is the mass of the silk obtained from one round of the forced spinning procedure?

100 micrograms Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary challenge in analyzing the properties of silk fibers?

Obtaining individual threads from the web Signup and view all the answers

Why do scientists use scanning microscopy to measure the length of a thread?

Because the length of a thread is about 1-3 micras Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of the scientists in understanding the properties of silk?

To replicate the properties in industrial materials Signup and view all the answers

Why did the scientists decide to use a different approach to obtain silk material?

To reduce the variability of results Signup and view all the answers

What method did the scientists use to obtain consistent results from different spiders?

Letting the spider climb freely up a wood stick Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the area below the curve in the graph?

It represents the force required to break the fiber Signup and view all the answers

Why is it challenging to obtain individual threads from the web?

Because the fibers are composed of 4-6 threads Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason for using mooring threads in the experiment?

To obtain individual threads with minimal manipulation Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason for the biocompatibility of silk?

It is invisible to the immune system Signup and view all the answers

What is the process by which artificial silk fibers are created?

SFS (Spider Fiber Spinning) Signup and view all the answers

What determines the properties of fibers created through SFS?

Chemical environment of the protein solution and mechanical stress on the jet Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of maximal supercontraction of silk fibers?

A state unique to each species Signup and view all the answers

How many species of spiders are known to exist?

Around 50,000 species Signup and view all the answers

What is unique about the properties of silk fibers from spiders 1 and 2?

They are mechanically indistinguishable Signup and view all the answers

Why is silk often contaminated in artificial fibers?

Due to the protein motifs used Signup and view all the answers

What is the advantage of artificial silk fibers?

They have a wide range of properties Signup and view all the answers