Spiders are master engineers, with incredible planning skills and a material that allows them to create accurate, operational webs.
Spider silk is a glossy, strong, and light substance with chemical properties. It’s tougher than steel and has a high tensile strength, which means it can withstand a lot of stretching before snapping.
Spiders use their silk for a variety of reasons, including the construction of webs. Given that the World Spider Catalog lists 45,749 species of spiders on the planet, that diversity is easy to imagine.
With the discovery of new species on a regular basis, the number is continually changing. Scientists have spent decades attempting to figure out what gives silk its strength and flexibility, but they have only uncovered hints so far.