Fig 6.

When maintained at 30% humidity, A) the water droplet contour (blue plus), as well as the core (red hashtag) of the adhesive thread remain visible. Attachment of the core to the thread takes place in the central part of the droplet (yellow asterisk), the core is constricted and encloses the thread in this area. B) In the dried state, the core (red hashtag) of the final droplet mostly appears as a web-like ballooning structure and is C) optically active in the polarized microscope. Also, the core of the normal thread droplet appears crystalline in the dried state, being D) optically active in the polarized microscope E) and reflective in the light microscope. Under highly humid conditions (100%), a re-hydration (blue plus) of the core (red hashtag) for the F) normal droplet as well as the G) final droplet takes place. H) In the polarized microscope the re-hydrated part of the core (blue plus) is optically inactive in relation to the dried area (red hash).