The influence of anaesthesia on the tensile properties of spider silk

J Exp Biol. 2006 Jan;209(Pt 2):320-6. doi: 10.1242/jeb.02009.

Abstract

In this study of the effect of anaesthesia on both the forced silking process and on the properties of the retrieved silk fibres, a monitored forced silking process enables the silking force to be measured during the whole process. Silk samples were tensile-tested and their diameters measured. Force-displacement curves and stress-strain curves were drawn. The evolution of the silking process of anaesthetized spiders is found to be complex, but it sheds light on the details of the spinning mechanism of spider silk.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anesthetics / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Bodily Secretions / drug effects*
  • Bodily Secretions / metabolism*
  • Bodily Secretions / physiology
  • Carbon Dioxide / pharmacology*
  • Materials Testing
  • Silk / chemistry
  • Silk / drug effects*
  • Spiders / physiology*

Substances

  • Anesthetics
  • Silk
  • Carbon Dioxide