The solid part of a tree is called wood.
Discovering the etymological origin of the term wood is the first thing we are going to do. In this case, we have to explain that it emanates from Latin, exactly derived from “materia”, which is equivalent to “ raw material ” or “origin” and that it is the result of the sum of two lexical components of said language:
-The noun “mater”, which can be translated as “mother”.
-The suffix “-ia”, which is used to indicate “quality”.
What is wood
The solid sector of a tree is called wood . This element is covered by the crust (the superficial layer).
Wood is a material with a certain elasticity that is found in the trunk of trees. As the growth of these plant species develops through the formation of concentric rings, it is possible to distinguish several strata in the wood.
Behind the bark appears the cambium , formed by the phloem and the xylem . The youngest part of the wood is called sapwood , while the heart - known as heartwood - is the sector with the greatest consistency. In the central area, the plant marrow also appears, with reduced resistance.
A dock can be built with wood, for example.
Use of material
Human beings have always used wood in multiple ways. Once the tree is cut down and the material is extracted, the dried wood can be used as firewood to light the fire; for the production of pulp or pulp that is intended for the manufacture of paper; or to produce endless products.
The uses of wood are so varied that it can be used to make everything from a plate to a means of transportation (such as a car or a canoe ), including tables , chairs and decorations . Because the characteristics and properties of the wood depend on each species , one or another tree is chosen for each case.
The noble woods
In the same way, we cannot ignore the existence of what is known as noble woods . This term is used to refer to those that have three main characteristics: they are very hard and resistant, they have enormous uniformity and they have grains. Not to mention that they show notable resistance to woodworm.
Precisely because of the aforementioned characteristics, they have become the most used to shape luxury and high-quality furniture. Of course, they have a drawback: they are really expensive and are not affordable for everyone.
Likewise, we have to highlight that among the noble woods are oak, mahogany, walnut, chestnut, alder and cherry, among others.
Other classification
Depending on its hardness , wood is classified as soft or hard. Softwoods come from trees that grow quickly like conifers, are lighter, break more easily and have a shorter useful life.
Hardwoods , on the other hand, are obtained from trees that grow slowly, are characterized by their density and are very resistant. This makes hardwoods more expensive than softwoods.
"Have wood"
Furthermore, we cannot forget that this term is also used to give shape to a very colloquial expression: “having the wood of…” .
This is used to indicate that a person has very specific qualities to practice a profession or achieve a specific status. Thus, one can say: “Manuel has the makings of a soccer player.”