wood
wood Hard substance that forms the trunks of trees; it is the xylem which comprises the bulk of the stems and roots, supporting the plant. Wood consists of fine, cellular tubes arranged vertically within the trunk, which accounts for its grain. The relatively soft, light-coloured wood is called sapwood. The non-conducting, older, darker wood is called heartwood, and is generally filled with resin, gums, mineral salts, and tannin. The two chief types are softwoods from conifers, such as pine, and hardwoods from deciduous species, such as oak. Wood is commonly used as a building material, fuel, to make some types of paper, and as a source of charcoal, cellulose, essential oil, lignin, tannins, dyes, and sugar.
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