[动物趣闻] 最毒蜘蛛或能“启发”研制高强纤维

美国科学家成功破译黑寡妇蛛丝的遗传密码,解开神奇蛛丝的结构谜团


拉丁学名: Latrodectus hesperus
英文名: black-widow-spider
类型: 昆虫
食谱: 肉食
寿命: 1-3年
大小: 38毫米长,6.4毫米直径
重量: 1-3克
小知识: 黑寡妇蜘蛛被认为是北美最毒的蜘蛛。

Black widows are notorious spiders identified by the colored, hourglass-shaped mark on their abdomens. Several species answer to the name, and they are found in temperate regions around the world.

This spider's bite is much feared because its venom is reported to be 15 times stronger than a rattlesnake's. In humans, bites produce muscle aches, nausea, and a paralysis of the diaphragm that can make breathing difficult; however, contrary to popular belief, most people who are bitten suffer no serious damage—let alone death. But bites can be fatal—usually to small children, the elderly, or the infirm. Fortunately, fatalities are fairly rare; the spiders are nonaggressive and bite only in self-defense, such as when someone accidentally sits on them.

The animals most at risk from the black widow's bite are insects—and male black widow spiders. Females sometimes kill and eat their counterparts after mating in a macabre behavior that gave the insect its name. Black widows are solitary year-round except during this violent mating ritual.

These spiders spin large webs in which females suspend a cocoon with hundreds of eggs. Spiderlings disperse soon after they leave their eggs, but the web remains. Black widow spiders also use their webs to ensnare their prey, which consists of flies, mosquitoes, grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars. Black widows are comb-footed spiders, which means they have bristles on their hind legs that they use to cover their prey with silk once it has been trapped.

To feed, black widows puncture their insect prey with their fangs and administer digestive enzymes to the corpses. By using these enzymes, and their gnashing fangs, the spiders liquefy their prey's bodies and suck up the resulting fluid.
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小小的蜘蛛丝,强度竟然超过所有其他天然纤维,甚至连以坚韧著称的钢丝和凯夫拉纤维都望尘莫及。

  美国加利福尼亚大学河滨分校一个研究小组揭开了黑寡妇蛛丝的秘密,将有助于日后人类研制高强度人造纤维。这一研究成果发布在《公共科学图书馆·综合》网站上。遗传密码破译有助于研究人工合成纤维

  加州大学河滨分校的科学家研究和分析黑寡妇蜘蛛丝,成功破译黑寡妇蛛丝的遗传密码,从而解开了神奇蛛丝的结构谜团。

  在研究报告中,河滨分校副教授、研究项目负责人谢里尔·哈娅说,研究小组发现黑寡妇蛛丝中含有两种关键蛋白Masp1和Masp2,继而破译了黑寡妇蛛丝的基因构成和脱氧核糖核酸(DNA)序列。

  哈娅告诉一名法新社记者:“迄今为止我们还没有找到比天然蛛丝更加理想的纤维材料,蛛丝遗传密码的破译有助于研究人工合成纤维。”

  黑寡妇蜘蛛被认为是世界上最毒的蜘蛛,最新研究成果或许有助于改变它在人们心目中的形象。黑寡妇蜘蛛的牵引丝性能更出众

  蛛丝是蜘蛛赖以为生的“法宝”。蜘蛛借助蛛丝捕捉猎物、储存食物和繁殖后代。蛛丝由蜘蛛腹部的丝腺分泌并形成。丝腺分泌一种胶状丝浆,而丝浆则在喷丝口与蛋白融合反应,形成蛛丝。

  蛛丝是自然界最理想的纤维材料之一,拥有许多其他人工制作材料无法比拟的性能,尤其以高强度、高韧性著称。研究表明,蜘蛛可以针对不同用途发出不同生物指令,从而合成产生不同种类的蛛丝。

  <b>牵引丝是蜘蛛用于搭建蛛网的丝,在各种蛛丝中最为坚固。</b>

  与一般蜘蛛不同,黑寡妇蜘蛛的牵引丝有着更加出众的性能,无论强度还是伸展性都更胜一筹。这赋予了黑寡妇蛛丝承受更大拉力和形变的能力。据记载,黑寡妇蛛丝在拉断前可以延伸27%,强度则超过普通蛛丝的2倍。帮助开发新一代高强度合成纤维

  市场上现阶段还没有出现与蛛丝相关的产品。

  科学家认为,新发现有助于工业新材料的开发。在黑寡妇蛛丝启发下开发形成的新一代高强度合成纤维将在医药、工程、体育、军事等领域大显身手。新一代合成纤维可以用于制造坚固而轻便的护甲,更加坚韧的手术线、人造腱、人造韧带以及各种新型运动护具等。

  哈娅告诉记者,借助现已破译的蛛丝遗传密码,科学家可以在诸如细菌、植物或动物等不同宿主身上合成产生构成蛛丝的关键蛋白。研究小组面临的下一个难题是,如何把合成产生的关键蛋白制造成人造蛛丝。

  “虽然我们目前还不能制造合成蛛丝,”哈娅说,“但在人工合成纤维的研究领域内,我们已经迈出了关键一步”。 (邢晔)新华社特稿


 
 

正在結網的“黑寡婦”


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  圆圆的腹部 红点记号的漏斗 这就是恶名昭著的黑寡妇蜘蛛!!!

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