silk (silkworm material)

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Scope note
A fine, lustrous, natural fiber obtained from the catepillar cocoons of silk moths, such as the domesticated Bombyx mori. Silkworm silk is composed of a heavy and light chain of core proteins called fibroins, which are coated by sericin, a collection of sticky, glue-like proteins. Microscopically, raw silk appears as two strands that are held together with sericin protein. According to legend, silk was discovered by Chinese Empress Si-Ling-Shi when a cocoon fell in her tea. China maintained a monopoly on the production of silk fabric for almost 3,000 years.The worms were first cultivated in Japan about 195 CE and in Europe about 555 CE.
silk
Accepted term: 02-Dec-2024