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The Biology Observation Of Three Ecotypic Spiders And Structure And Function Of Three Types Of Spider Silk

Posted on:2004-06-07Degree:MasterType:Thesis
Country:ChinaCandidate:P JiangFull Text:PDF
GTID:2120360095453455Subject:Zoology
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
Spider silk is native fibrous biopolymer composed of peptide modules. Silk is reeled from movable "little buttocks" correlating with a conversion from the aqueous liquid feedstock in the gland into an insoluble protein filament with outstanding mechanical properties via a tapering tubular duct which exits at the spigot. In addition, spider silk is an attractive novel biomaterial for its excellent mechanical properties. The major ampullate dragline silk of spiders such as Araneus diadematus and Nephila clavipes have the unusual combination of high stiffness, breaking strength, toughness and high extensibility rarely observed in silk and synthetic high-performance fibers . There are extremely foregrounds in application of spider silk. But spider silk is designed for spiders' different bionomic strategies. Spider silk is characteristic of short period of utilization and low yield. The mechanical properties and characteristic of spider silk are correlated with the bionomic strategies and life history of spiders, structures and functions of spider silk and cobweb.Recently, there are many a investigations concerning spider silk. These studies mainly refer to protein science, molecular biology, material science and bionics of the major ampullate dragline silk of a few type species: Nephila clavata Araneus diadematus. But studies about spider silk in domestic are at beginning step (there are less than 20 pieces of paper, only 6 investigational paper). Especially the studies regarding the structures, mechanical properties and function of spider silk are fewer. Additionally, the mechanical properties of mimic spider silk can't satisfy the demand of commercial application. Moreover, the studies at present can't still disclosed the relationship between structure, mechanical property and function in spider silk overall.Spiders are a diverse group with a wide range of life history, there are divers ecotypes, include retiary spider, and cave spider, nest spider, hunting spider and soon. Different ecotypic spider can produce different silk; even the same spider also has a whole battery of silks. The diversity of spider silk is a result that the spider takes different bionomic strategies under different selection pressures. At the same time, this diversity offers wide investigation spaces for the commercial application on the basis of spider silk. In order to disclose the relationship between structure, mechanical property and function in spider silk overall, we roughly observed on three ecotypic spiders and studied the structure and function of three types of spider silk.Rough biological observations of four family's spiders 1) Araneidae: N. clavata, A. amoena and A. minuta; 2) Agelenidae: C. luctuosus; 3) Salticidae: Hasarius; 4) Tetragnathiade: Tylorida Simon on their habitats, structures of the web and behaviors (spinning, predation, web, cocoon) in the wild field and indoors indicate that these three ecotypic spiders are different in the structures of web or nests and behavior attributed to their different bionomic strategies. N. clavata, A. amoena, A. minuta and Tylorida Simon belong to the orb-web weaving spiders. They identifies, locates, and captures a prey by the continuous vibratory signals which are produced by an intercepted struggling insect and predominantly traveled down to the hub of web on which the spider is quietly positioned. Their ability in controlling the silk is strong. Their strategy of predation is constructing a web and "position-wait". C. luctuosus belongs to Cave spider. It builds irregular funnel web at the entrance to cave. It captures a prey by the level web that extends from the entrance to cave to its surround. Its ability in controlling the silk is a little poor. Its strategy of predation is constructing a web at the entrance to cave and "quasi-position-wait". But it is not the same as a orb web spider which expose itself to a potential predator. Hasarius belongs to hunting spider. It has no web. But it can spin a thread rapidly, capture and kill flies or insects. Its strategy of p...
Keywords/Search Tags:Spider, Ecotype, Spider silk, morphological structure, Secondary configuration, Preliminary biological observation, Biological function
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