sericin
Quick Summary
Sericin is a gelatinous protein that acts as a glue, cementing the two fibroin filaments together to form a silk fiber. This secretion is produced by silkworms as they create their cocoons.12
The process of sericulture, or silk production, involves raising silkworms. These caterpillars spin cocoons by secreting a continuous filament composed of fibroin and sericin. The sericin binds the twin filaments, which harden upon exposure to air.2
After the silkworm is killed in the chrysalis stage, the cocoons are softened to release the filament. The sericin is typically removed later by boiling the silk in soap and water, which also makes the silk soft and lustrous. Serine, an amino acid, was first isolated in 1865 from sericin.23
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