How Are Textiles Made?
The oldest known textiles are some sail pieces, made 7,000 years ago. The first textile fibers used by humans were flax and wool, but today a large array of natural and synthetic fibers are employed. The sheep wool is made of keratin, the same protein found in the nails, horns, feathers, reptilian scales and the upper layer of the skin. All hairs have the same protein in their composition, like mohair (coming from Angora goats), cashmere (coming from Kashmir goats), or those coming from the camel, llama, horse, musk ox or rabbit. Silk is obtained from the cocoon of the silkworm (the caterpillar of the silk moth). The worms expel a liquid protein which hardens as soon as in contact with the air, turning into fibroin (the same protein is found in the spider silk). Each worm produces a sole fiber of fibroin, several kilometers long, which it will wrap around its body to form a cocoon. Silk is obtained by unwrapping the cocoons. Plant fibers are made by cellulose, the material making the c
