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  1. Naked Science Forum
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  3. Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution
  4. Are spider webs edible, for spiders or humans?
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Are spider webs edible, for spiders or humans?

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paul.fr

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Are spider webs edible, for spiders or humans?
« on: 20/03/2007 00:01:53 »
If spider webs are mainly made out of protein, does that make them edible? Not that i would want to eat one myself, but here is a web that could fill you up!

« Last Edit: 07/09/2016 09:36:52 by chris »
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another_someone

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Spider Webs...Yummy!
« Reply #1 on: 20/03/2007 02:03:06 »
Don't forget that ricin is a protein also - not all proteins are so nutritious.
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Marked as best answer by on 25/11/2017 03:54:01

Offline Monox D. I-Fly

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Re: Spider Webs...Yummy!
« Reply #2 on: 05/09/2016 04:58:30 »
Quote from: paul.fr on 20/03/2007 00:01:53
If spider webs are mainly made out of protein, does that make them edible? Not that i would want to eat one myself, but here is a web that could fill you up!



Ummm... Some days ago I read an encyclopedia that says that the liquid to make spider webs is actually its sperm... And sperms are made out of protein too... Ugh, I must stop before I break any rules...
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Offline chris

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Re: Spider Webs...Yummy!
« Reply #3 on: 07/09/2016 09:35:29 »
No spider webs are not made from sperm. Sperms are living cells. Webs are made from proteins, which are polymer molecules and orders of magnitude smaller than sperm cells.
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Offline evan_au

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Re: Are spider webs edible, for spiders or humans?
« Reply #4 on: 07/09/2016 11:34:20 »
Quote from: paul.fr
Are spider webs edible for spiders?
Apparently some spiders eat their own web and respin it, every day.
Recycling in action!
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_web#Silk_production
A video of a spider taking down its web (and eating it):
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Offline Villi

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Re: Are spider webs edible, for spiders or humans?
« Reply #5 on: 09/09/2016 01:35:24 »
The protein can be broken down in our stomach's acid.
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