Spider Silk Is Natures Miracle Fiber

Spider silk is one of the most miraculous natural substances on Earth. Most building materials are either strong or elastic, but spider silk is both. Its been described as stronger than steel (which is not quite accurate, but close), more impenetrable than Kevlar, and stretchier than nylon. It withstands a lot of strain before breaking, which is the very definition of a tough material. Spider silk also conducts heat and is known to have antibiotic properties. All Spiders Produce Silk All spiders produce silk, from the tiniest jumping spider to the biggest tarantula. A spider has special structures called spinnerets at the end of its abdomen. Youve probably watched a spider constructing a web, or rappelling from a silk thread. The spider uses its hind legs to pull the strand of silk from its spinnerets, little by little. Spider Silk Is Made From Protein But what is spider silk, exactly? Spider silk is a fiber of protein, produced by a gland in the spiders abdomen. The gland stores silk protein  in liquid form, which isnt particularly useful for building structures like webs. When the spider needs silk, the liquefied protein passes through a canal where it gets an acid bath. As the pH of the silk protein is lowered (as its acidified), it changes the structure. The motion of pulling the silk from the spinnerets puts tension on the substance, which helps it harden into a solid as it emerges. Structurally, silk consists of layers of amorphous and crystalline proteins. The firmer protein crystals give silk its strength, while the softer, shapeless protein provides elasticity. Protein is a naturally occurring polymer (in this case, a chain of amino acids). Spider silk, keratin, and collagen are all formed of protein. Spiders will often recycle valuable silk proteins by eating their webs. Scientists have labeled silk proteins using radioactive markers and examined new silk to determine how efficiently spiders reprocess the silk. Remarkably, theyve found spiders can consume and reuse silk proteins in 30 minutes. Thats an amazing recycling system! This versatile material could have limitless applications, but harvesting spider silk isnt very practical on a large scale. Producing a synthetic material with the properties of spider silk has long been the Holy Grail of scientific research.   8 Ways Spiders Use Silk Scientists have studied spider silk for centuries, and have learned quite a bit about how spider silk is made and used. Some spiders can actually produce 6 or 7 kinds of silk using different silk glands. When the spider weaves a silk thread, it can combine these varied kinds of silks to produce specialized fibers for different purposes. Sometimes the spider needs a stickier silk strand, and other times it needs a stronger one. As you might imagine, spiders make good use of their silk-producing skills. When we think of spiders spinning silk, we usually think of them building webs. But spiders use silk for many purposes.   1. Spiders Use Silk to Catch Prey The best-known use of silk by spiders is for constructing webs, which they use to ensnare prey. Some spiders, like  orb weavers, construct circular webs with sticky threads to snag flying insects. Purse web spiders use an innovative design. They spin an upright silk tube and hide inside it. When an insect lands on the outside of the tube, the purse web spider cuts the silk and pulls the insect inside. Most web-weaving spiders have poor eyesight, so they sense prey in the web by feeling for vibrations traveling across the silk strands. A recent study showed that  spider silk can vibrate at a wide range of frequencies, allowing the spider to sense movements as small as a hundred nanometers—1/1000 the width of a human hair. But thats not the only way spiders use silks to catch meals. The bolas spider, for example, spins a sort of fishing line of silk – a long thread with a sticky ball at the end. When an insect passes by, the bolas spider flings the line at the prey and hauls in its catch. Net-casting spiders spin a small web, shaped like a tiny net, and hold it between their feet. When an insect comes near, the spider throws its silk net and ensnares the prey. 2. Spiders User Silk to Subdue Prey Some spiders, like  cobweb spiders, use silk to subdue their prey completely. Have you ever watched a spider grab a fly or moth, and quickly wrap it in silk like a mummy? Cobweb spiders have special setae on their feet, which enable them to wind sticky silk tightly around a struggling insect.   3. Spiders Use Silk to Travel Anyone who read  Charlottes Web  as a child will be familiar with this spider behavior, known as ballooning. Young spiders (called spiderlings) disperse soon after emerging from their egg sac. In some species, the spiderling will climb onto an exposed surface, raise its abdomen, and cast a silk thread into the wind. As the air current pulls on the silk strand,  the spiderling becomes airborne and can be carried for miles. 4. Spiders Use Silk to Keep From Falling Who hasnt been startled by a spider descending suddenly on a silk thread? Spiders habitually leave a trail of silk line, known as a dragline, behind them as they explore an area. The silk safety line helps the spider keep from falling unchecked. Spiders also use the dragline to descend in a controlled manner. If the spider finds trouble below, it can quickly ascend the line to safety. 5. Spiders Use Silk to Keep From Getting Lost Spiders can also use the dragline to find their way home. Should a spider wander too far from its retreat or burrow, it can follow the silk line back to its home. 6. Spiders Use Silk to Take Shelter Many spiders use silk to construct or reinforce a shelter or retreat. Both  tarantulas  and  wolf spiders  dig burrows in the ground and line their homes with silk. Some web-building spiders construct special retreats within or adjacent to their webs. Funnel weaver spiders, for example, spin a cone-shaped retreat in one side of their webs, where they can stay hidden from both prey and predators. 7. Spiders Use Silk to Mate Before mating, a male spider must prepare and ready his sperm. Male spiders spin silk and construct small sperm webs, just for this purpose. He transfers sperm from his genital opening to the special web and then picks up the sperm with his pedipalps. With his sperm securely stored in his pedipalps, he can search for a receptive female. 8. Spiders Use Silk to Protect Their Offspring Female spiders produce particularly tough silk to construct egg sacs. She then deposits her eggs inside the sac, where they will be protected from the weather and potential predators as they  develop and hatch into tiny spiderlings. Most mother spiders secure the egg sac to a surface, often near her web. Wolf spiders dont take chances and carry the egg sac around until the offspring emerge. Sources: Borror and Delongs Introduction to the Study of Insects, 7th edition, by Charles A. Triplehorn and Norman F. Johnson.Encyclopedia of Entomology, 2nd edition, edited by John L. Capinera.ASU scientists unravel the mysteries of spider silk, Arizona State University,  January 27, 2013. Iowa State engineer discovers spider silk conducts heat as well as metals, Iowa State University, March 5, 2012.  Lowering pH regulates spider’s silk production,  Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, May 12, 2010.Stanford Researcher Sheds New Light on the Mysteries of Spider Silk, Stanford University,  February 4, 2013.  Bugs Rule! Introduction to the World of Insects, by Whitney Cranshaw and Richard Redak.Spiders, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History website. Spiders Listen to Their Webs, by Carrie Arnold, National Geographic website, June 5, 2014. Net-Casting Spiders, Australian Museum website.Purseweb Spiders, University of Kentucky Entomology website.

The Policy Process Of New Zealand Essay - 1647 Words

The Policy Process Task II: Briefing Paper Summary: There is an imminent threat posed by the climate change issue that New Zealand faces. Human wellbeing, food and water security, health issues and national security are some of the threats that New Zealand will have to resolve. One of the first global effort in response to combating the issue of climate change is the Kyoto Protocol. However, the agreement did not include the two largest world emitters of greenhouse gas - China and the USA. The issue impedes development in many small south pacific island nations. Agriculture is one of the major export for many developing island nations. The rise in sea level due to climate change directly affects the agricultural production. The ASEAN summit has identified food security to be of great concern and there is a need to address the issue. The issue affects most south pacific island countries. Climate change affects them in many ways and one of the major issues is the rise in sea levels. High tides lead to flooded roads affecting transportation and other infrastructure. Heat stress and saltwater incursions are some of the effects that is quite problematic for the industry. Furthermore, the rapid population growth and increasing food consumption per person is also a critical issue. Drought or the lack of availability of fresh water is also a concern. People are migrating due to flooding caused by the rising sea level. A research conducted by London School of Economics haveS how MoreRelatedPolicy Models Or Frameworks.. The Assignment Seeks To Explore1523 Words   |  7 PagesPolicy Models or Frameworks. The assignment seeks to explore the Housing Legislation Amendment Bill/Policy issue and discuss about the present roles the New Zealand government is doing, recognizing relevant concepts and frameworks which are used clarify the roles for government in New Zealand and my country of origin. 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Police Brutality Of African Americans - 2187 Words

As I was conducting research about police brutality I came up with three questions I wanted to find out. I wanted to know what race group is affected by police brutality the most, why they were affected by this the most and what to do to stop police brutality involving shooting civilian. This Paper talk about how police brutality is a major issue in America right now. There’s many different types of police brutality but police officers killing civilians is something that is issue in our nation currently. After doing reaching this topic I was able to find out that African Americans have been affected by this the most out of any race. African Americans are affected by this the most because in some cases African Americans are usually stereotyped and this causes them to be treated different by police. Ways we can help this issue is by supporting these organizations that are against police brutality and encouraging police officers around the nation to always have a body camera on t hem at all times. After during research and conducting a survey about police vehicle visibility in America I’ve noticed this has led to a greater issue. Does this issue also have some effect with police brutality? Police brutality is a major topic and issue going around in America right now. There appears to be different forms of police brutality. There is use of excessive force, false arrest or imprisonment, malicious prosecution, and unreasonable search. There appears to be many types of policeShow MoreRelatedPolice Brutality Of African Americans1405 Words   |  6 PagesIn recent years police brutality towards African Americans has increased. This violence has resulted in riots across the United States. 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Organizational Structure and Culture free essay sample

All talk about organizations relies on abstract conceptions, using words and their meanings, to make sense systematically of our experience and observations of people do-ins things together. A great deal of organizational life can be described and, more import-tangy, sometimes even understood, predicted, and Influenced, with abstract Ideas about structure and culture. While there Is no universal agreement or consistency In definitions of structural and cultural aspects of community organizations, grassroots organizers have some corn-moon usage and understandings.Structural features of organization are formal, inflexible (except under special notations and procedures), created and maintained by documentation, and contingency-centered: they set responsibilities, formal rights, and rewards or punishments on which individual behavior or group action is contingent. The structure is adopted officially, by explicit decision, on the basis of known rules and procedures. It determines how the organization is supposed to operate and for what purposes.Usually we mean by organizational culture those features that are informal, flexi-blew (but often long-lived), created and maintained by word-of-mouth, and Ideology-centered: they define good and bad, winning and losing, friends and enemies, etc. The cultural definitions of people, circumstances, events, objects, facts, processes, Informal-tool, and so on, are essential for organizational decisions and movement.Usually these documents begin with the broad goals and purposes of the or-sanitation, reflecting the core values and interests of the membership, constituency, or clientele. Structural documentation may also spell out the organizations main resource base. For instance, many organizations ordinarily define their classes of membership in their constitutions or bylaws, sometimes even specifying the amount of annual dues for each. Similarly, the documentation defines formal offices or positions in the organization.But this isnt the same as labor division, that is, as specifying who does what actual work. The documentation may also limit tax-exemption alternatives. Understandings about decision-making arrangements are set out In structural documentation. There are five general types of organizational decisions: structural, poll-LLC, management, supervision, and adjudication. To take one example, bylaws and consult-outlook define the actors and methods for making changes in the structure itself: in most grassroots organizations o change the basic structure.Policy matters are typically left to leadership bodies meeting more frequently. And management is often delegated to staff. Culture Cultural aspects of organizations are generally thought of as those that evolve in convener-sensation and are in flux, constantly changing. In most instances organizational culture De-fines what things mean, whether theyre valued as good or bad, right or wrong, and how things are to be done when answers cant be fixed by formal structure, policy, or proceed-dare.Within larger structural goals, its the culture that carries organizational object-dives. While the broad purposes of grassroots organizing are to bring together low- and moderate-income families for their political, economic, and social interests, goals that are laid out in basic documents, its our more specific and immediate objectives for organize-ins membership drives, campaigns on issues, and program development that bring those goals to life.The objectives themselves are mostly within the culture of the organization. The culture also promotes operational ideologies, th e meanings for contingent-ices in the organizations daily action life. In contrast to basic values, its the transient operational ideology-?formed, heaped, and transmitted in the course of common expert-once and discussion about that experience-?that defines a double-talking city hall buy-react or a corporate flack-catcher as no friend of the neighborhood. The culture moves the organization ahead in very practical ways when it sets out the Jobs that have to be done and the division of labor to do them. So while the structure may establish the positions of president, vice president, secretary, etc. , its the culture that says (in some retrogressive organizations) women will do the actual work and men will make the sections. Culture plays another critical and parallel role by reflecting less-sons learned in the past, thus avoiding replays of crisis situations.For instance, once an organization has learned that relying on a single leader to broker all of its internal inter-sets creates dangerous vulnerability, its culture will encourage shared leadership. Simi-Larry, organizations learn that relying completely on a single source of money doesnt sustain longevity. Culture is probably felt more through its definition of roles than in any other way. Its the culture that defines how people incisive of the reasons and routes for their AC-actions.Leaders are mainly under the hold of organizational culture when know that, al-though they may do many things, usurping the decision-making authority of the member-ship is fundamentally wrong. Similarly, staff recognition of when and when not to act often follows from an understanding of an unwritten organizing model, another facet of the organizations culture. Overall, its the culture that specifies appropriate and Napier-primate behavior-?reinforced by structural contingencies (rewards and punishments)-?for members, leaders, staff, and even consultants.