Wool industry is an important source of livelihood for many people in our country. The people who do the job of sorting (separating) the fleece of sheep into fibres of different qualities are called sorters. The sorter's job is very risky because sometimes, they get infected by the bacteria called 'anthrax' which cause a deadly blood disease called sorter's disease.

Natural silk is obtained from the cocoons of silkworms and it is made up of a protein. Natural silk is an animal fibre. Artificial silk is obtained from wood pulp and it is made up of modified plant material 'cellulose.
If we perform the burning test, then natural silk fibre burns giving a smell of burning hair while artificial fibre burns giving a smell of burning paper.

The silk yarn is obtained from the cocoon of the silk moth. There is a variety of silk moths which look very different from one another and the silk yarn they yield is different in textures (coarse, smooth, shiny, etc.) Thus, tassar silk, mooga silk, kosa silk, etc are obtained from cocoons spun by different types of moths.

(a) Eggs of silk moth on mulberry leaves
(b) Silkworm
(c) Cocoon
(d) Cocoon with developing moth

Sericulture, moriculture terms related to silk production.

(A) Eggs of silk moth on mulberry leaves
(B) Silkworm
(C) Cocoon
(D) Cocoon with developing moth.

(a) Sericulture
(b) Silkworm
(c) Mulberry
(d) Reeling

Sheep are herbivores and prefer grass and leaves. Sheep also fed on corn, jower and mixture of pulses and cakes. In winter, sheep are kept indoor and fed on leaves, grains and dry fodder.

Wool is used for making fabrics, shawls, blankets, carpets, felt and upholstery. Wool felt is used to cover piano hammers. It is also used to absorb noise in heavy industry and stereo-speakers.

Animals from which we get wool bear a thick coat of hair on their bodies. This is because air is a poor conductor of heat. The thick coat of hair traps a lot of air, there by creating an insulating barrier. Thus thick coat of hair shield these animals from cold.

Silk fibres are derived from silkworms and are therefore called animal fibres. The scientific name for the silk producing moth (species) is Bambyx mari. It is one of the most beautiful moth.

Workers involved in wool industry during sorting of wool sometimes get infected by a bacterium called Anthrax. This causes a fatal blood disease called sorter's disease. Such risks faced by workers in any occupation are known as occupational hazards.

Woollen sweaters contain air trapped between them. Air, being a bad conductor of heat, does not allow the body heat to flow outward. On the other hand, cotton garments cannot trap air between them and so do not provide any insulation and thus cannot keep up as warm as woollen sweaters.

The silk yarn is obtained form the cocoon of the silk moth. There is a variety of silk moths which look very different from one another and the silk yarn they yield is different in texture like coarse, smooth and shiny etc. Thus tassar silk, mooga silk and kosa silk are obtained from cocoons spun by different types of moths. The common silk moth is the mulberry silk moth. The cocoon of this moth yield soft, lustrous and elastic silk fibre.

Cocoons of silk moth are used to obtain the silk fibres. These cocoons are kept under the sun or boiled or exposed to steam. The silk fibres separate out. This process of obtaining wool from the cocoons is called reeling the silk. Reeling is done in special machines

Various kinds of animals are :
(i) Yak: Wool is common in Tibet and Ladakh.
(ii) Angora goat: They are used to obtain Angora wool. They are found in hilly regions such as Jammu and Kashmir.
(iii) Kashmiri goats: They are used to obtain under fur.
(iv) Camel: It also provides fur.
(iv) Llama and Alpaca: They are found in South America and also yield wool.

No.

Cotton garments are thin and does not trap air. Wool is thicker than cotton and have spaces in which air traps. Air is a poor conductor of heat and so it prevent heat coming out of our body. So, wool gives better protection from cold than cotton.

(i) First, the eggs obtained from silk moth are warmed to a suitable temperature, as a result, the caterpillar comes out.
(ii) Next, the caterpillars are kept in a bamboo tree along with freshly chopped mulberry leaves, where after 25 to 30 days, the caterpillars spin the cocoon.
(iii)Cocoons are collected and boiled, where upon silk fibres separate out by themselves. This is known as reeling of the silk.

Angora wool is obtained from Angora goats which are found in hilly regions of Jammu and Kashmir.

Sheep have two types of fibres: (i) the coarse beard hair and (ii)the fine soft under hair close to the skin.

The larva (or caterpillar) of a silk moth makes the silk fibre.

The process of breeding of selective parents for obtaining special characters in their offspring such as soft under hair in sheep, is termed as selective breeding.

The stage next to caterpillar in the life cycle of silk moth is called pupa.

The process of taking out threads from the cocoons for use as silk is called reeling the silk.

The first step is shearing then scouring.

Scouring.

Wool is obtained from the fleece or hair of sheep.

In Tibet and Ladakh, angora goats are found.

Kashmiri goats.

Hair traps a lot of air which is a poor conductor of heat resulting their body warm.

Yak wool is common in the hilly regions of Ladakh.

Wool yielding animals are sheep, yak, llama, alpaca, angora goat, angora rabbit and camel.

The sources of obtaining fibres are plants and animals.