Polymer, Vol.40, No.16, 4709-4711, 1999
Heterogeneous morphology of Nephila edulis spider silk and its significance for mechanical properties
Previous work has shown that dragline silk of Nephila madagcariensis is not homogeneous in cross-section. We report here that the core of Nephila edulis silk also contains extremely fine elongated, electron lucent domains. These domains may contribute to the exceptional tensile strength and toughness of this material by acting as stress concentration parts or land fluid-filled canaliculi.