Spiders are known for their remarkable, beautiful and intricate webs. But how do spiders make webs? Spiders have specialized silk-producing organs called spinnerets located at the tip of their abdomen. Each spinneret is connected to silk glands within the spider’s body and have tiny spigots or openings through which the silk is extruded. These spigots can be moved independently, allowing the spider to control the direction, thickness, and type of silk being produced.

Spider silk is made up of different proteins but the specific chemistry can vary depending on the scenario. For example, spiders can control and produce sticky silk used for capturing prey or they can produce silk used for constructing structural elements of theirs webs. Once the silk is extruded from the spinnerets, it comes into contact with the air, causing the liquid protein solution to solidify and form solid strands. Spiders then can manipulate the silk with their legs, pulling and attaching it to different points to construct their webs or perform other tasks such as building egg sacs or creating retreats.

The ability to produce silk through spinnerets is one of the remarkable features of spiders, allowing them to create a variety of silk structures with diverse functions, including webs, egg sacs, draglines for movement, or even safety lines for protection.