WHAT IS WOOD?

Accessible, light, easily worked and replaceable, wood is an essential element of basic survival—the weapon, shelter and fuel. Wood is a hard, fibrous substance also known as xylem, which is the principal strengthening and water-conducting tissue found in the stems and roots of many plants, including trees and shrubs. The versatility of wood is basically attributable to its structure, chemical composition, and properties. Produced by many botanical species, it is available in various colours and grain patterns.
In contemporary times, in spite of technological advancement and competition from metals, plastics, cement, and other materials, wood maintains a place in most of its traditional roles, and its serviceability is expanding through new uses with the result that its consumption is steadily increasing. The long list of present wood uses includes products in which its natural texture is retained and others in which the wood is mechanically and chemically modified to the extent ...