Academic Reading
The strength of spider silk
ASpider silk is one of the most remarkable materials in nature. Though incredibly fine, it is, weight for weight, stronger than steel and far more elastic, able to stretch without snapping as an insect blunders into a web.
BSpiders produce silk from special glands and can make several different types, each suited to a purpose — a sticky thread to trap prey, a tough line to hang from, or a soft case to protect eggs. Scientists have long dreamed of copying spider silk to make lightweight, super-strong materials, but reproducing it artificially has proved extremely difficult.