Spiders are among nature’s most fascinating engineers. They produce silk from specialized glands called spinnerets, located at the rear of their abdomen. This silk is made of proteins that are both lightweight and stronger than steel of the same diameter. Different types of silk serve different purposes—some are sticky for trapping prey, while others are non-sticky and used for structural support. When spinning a web, a spider begins by releasing a silk thread that catches onto a surface. It the