sericterium
- noun
- Specialized
- The silkworm’s sericterium is responsible for the production of raw silk threads.
Examples
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Scientists studied the structure of the spider’s sericterium to understand silk synthesis.
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Damage to an insect’s sericterium can severely affect its ability to spin cocoons.
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The sericterium produces silk.
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Did you know that the sericteria in spiders also produce silk?
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Damage to an insect’s sericterium can severely affect its ability to spin cocoons.
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The silkworm’s sericterium is responsible for the production of raw silk threads.
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Scientists studied the structure of the spider’s sericterium to understand silk synthesis.
Synonyms
1
9.2
A small body part on spiders and some insects that makes silk threads
1
6.1
A part inside some insects and spiders that makes thin strong threads for cocoons or webs
A part inside some insects and spiders that makes silk
Surface Forms
Morphology
sericterium = seric (opaque) = seric + terium
The term appears to be a learned scientific formation based on 'seric' ('silken'), but the full meaning 'silk-producing gland' is specialized and not recoverable for an average learner from the parts alone.
Etymology
Sericterium comes from the old root seric- meaning 'silk'. So a sericterium is the gland an insect or spider uses to make silk threads, which is why damage to it can stop a silkworm from making a cocoon.