| The leaves are used as feed for the silkworms. 370 kg of leaves produce 27 kg of silkworm cocoons. |
| Silk is a continuous protein filament spun by the silkworm to form its cocoon. |
| The phenomenon dates from the early 18th-century, when textile producers began hunting for an alternative to mulberry silkworm. |
| The principle species used in commercial production is the mulberry silkworm, which is the larva of the silk moth, Bombyx mori. |
| At the beginning, the silkworm spins the outer covering, the floss of the cocoon. |
| The domesticated silkworm is one of a few lepidopteran species that have been used for genetic analysis. |
