long as
How does
silkworm produce the silk
fibre
Answers
Explanation:
Silkworms are the offspring of moths . They spew out thread from tiny holes in their jaws, which they use to spin into their egg-bearing cocoons. This entire production takes a mere 72 hours, during which time they produce between 500-1200 silken threads.
Silk is an animal fibre, which is obtained from silkworms that live on mulberry trees. The rearing of silkworms to obtain silk is known as sericulture. During a stage of its life cycle, the silkworm weaves a net around itself. Silk is then obtained from this net. The life of a silkworm starts when a female moth lays eggs on the mulberry leaves. After sometime, these eggs hatch into larvae. These larvae are known as caterpillars or silkworms. Slowly these caterpillars grow in size by feeding only on the leaves of mulberry trees. The next stage in the life cycle of a silkworm is a pupa. When the caterpillar has grown large enough and is ready to go to the stage of pupa, it starts weaving a net around itself to hold itself. Then, it moves its head from one side to another, making a figure eight (8). During these movements, caterpillars secrete a fibre made of protein, which solidifies and hardens when exposed to air for some time. This is the silk fibre. Caterpillars continue to spin silk fibre till they completely get covered by these fibres. This silk covering in which a silkworm covers itself is known as a cocoon. Further development of the silkworm takes place inside the cocoon, and it enters the pupa stage. After sometime, the pupa enters into the adult stage and emerges out of the cocoon as a moth. The whole process thus continues and is known as the life cycle of a silkworm.