Why do silkworms produce silk?

Silk production, or sericulture, is the nearly 5000 year old process that supplies the world with its most prized threads. Subscribe to our channel! read more

Silkworms make silk by spewing a substance called fibroin through small holes in their jaws called spinnerets. The spewed-out substance consists of digested leaves and protein produced by the worm. The silkworm produces up to 1200 silken threads within a 72 hour time period, creating a soft, silver cocoon. read more

Larvae of the silkworm are blind and voracious, they quickly gain mass, and then produce a silk thread, which is wrapped in a cocoon. Inside the cocoon, magic happens: the larva turns into a moth. Unless, of course, it sacrifices itself for the creation of the most beautiful silk fabric in the world. read more

Silk production is nothing but one out of the several stages through which the silkworm goes through during its life cycle, finally unraveling the most desired and loved silk thread out of a cocoon. A cocoon is a protective case or shell that the silkworm spins around itself. read more