Silk fibres

Photomacrograph of silk fibres. Silk is a natural fibre produced by the silkworm. The silkworm is the caterpillar (or larva) of the silk moth Bombyx mori, which makes silk fibres and spins these into a protective cocoon around itself in order to transform into a moth. These natural protein fibres are strong, supple, insulating, absorbing, and have good lustre, making them popular for use in textiles. Rearing silkworms in order to produce silk is called sericulture. Width of image is 2 mm.