Wood
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin that resists compression. Wood is sometimes defined as only the secondary xylem in the stems of trees, or it is defined more broadly to include the same type of tissue elsewhere such as in the roots of trees or shrubs. In a living tree it performs a support function, enabling woody plants to grow large or to stand up by themselves. It also conveys water and nutrients between the leaves, other growing tissues, and the roots. Wood may also refer to other plant materials with comparable properties, and to material engineered from wood, or wood chips or fiber.

Wood has been used for thousands of years for fuel, as a construction material, for making tools and weapons, furniture and paper. More recently it emerged as a feedstock for the production of purified cellulose and its derivatives, such as cellophane and cellulose acetate.

As of 2005, the growing stock of forests worldwide was about 434 billion cubic meters, 47% of which was commercial. As an abundant, carbon-neutral renewable resource, woody materials have been of intense interest as a source of renewable energy. In 1991 approximately 3.5 billion cubic meters of wood were harvested. Dominant uses were for furniture and building construction.
Q134267
stems
Concept
Q10884
tree
Concept
Q757163
woody plant
Concept
Q1783121
organic material
Concept
Q181790
composite
Concept
Q80294
cellulose
Concept
None
matrix
UNK
Q184817
lignin
Concept
Q122811
xylem
Concept
Q181394
nutrient
Concept
Q33971
leaves
Concept
Q42501
fuel
Concept
Q6608318
construction material
UNK
Q39546
tool
Concept
Q728
weapon
Concept
Q14745
furniture
Concept
Q11472
paper
Concept
Q193841
cellophane
Concept
None
cellulose acetate
UNK
Q4421
forest
Concept
Q1774424
carbon-neutral
UNK
Q287
Wood
Concept
Q287
Wood
Concept
Q287
Wood
Concept
Q287
Wood
Concept
2005-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
2005
DATE
1991-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1991
DATE
+47^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
47
NUMBER
+3.5^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
3.5
NUMBER
natural product of taxon
subclass of
subclass of