Intricate loops of silk help net-casting spiders trap prey in webs

core: Something — usually round-shaped — in the center of an object.

fiber: Something whose shape resembles a thread or filament.

gland: A cell, a group of cells or an organ that produces and discharges a substance (or “secretion”) for use elsewhere in the body or in a body cavity, or for elimination from the body.

insect: A type of arthropod that as an adult will have six segmented legs and three body parts: a head, thorax and abdomen. There are hundreds of thousands of insects, which include bees, beetles, flies and moths.

microscope: An instrument used to view objects — such as bacteria or the single cells of plants or animals — that are too small to be visible to the unaided eye.

prey: (n.) An organism hunted by another, often for food. (v.) To attack and eat another organism.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: A prestigious journal publishing original scientific research, begun in 1914. The journal’s content spans the biological, physical and social sciences. Each of the more than 3,000 papers it publishes each year, now, are not only peer reviewed but also approved by a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.

scanning electron microscope: (also known as SEM) A scientific instrument in which the surface of a specimen is scanned by a beam of electrons that are reflected to form an image.

silk: A fine, strong, soft fiber spun by a range of animals, such as silkworms and many other caterpillars, weaver ants, caddis flies and spiders.

spider: A type of arthropod with four pairs of legs and two main body sections (a head-thorax combination and an abdomen). Spiders often have the ability to spin threads of silk they can use to create webs or other structures.