What is Wood?
Parts of a Tree
Wood is defined as “The hard fibrous material that forms the main substance of the trunk or branches of a tree or shrub. Such material when cut and used as timber or fuel”. Just 1% of a tree is actually alive and composed of "living" cells. Nearly all of every tree you see is composed of non-living tissue and very little of a tree's volume is "living" tissue. The major living or growing portion of a tree is a thin film or skin of cells just under the bark (called the cambium). Other living cells are in root tips, the apical meristem, leaves and buds. (From http://forestry.about.com/b/2012/08/01/how-much-of-a-tree-is-actually-alive.htm)
Wood holds different significance in different cultures as well as a varied amount of importance throughout the decades. In present times, wood is mostly used for building construction of homes and is normally processed into lumber. In the past, wood was used not only for building construction of homes, but for furniture, transportation, tools, fuel, etc. It was the main building material.
Wood is still very prevalent in today’s world. Many homes are still built with wood, and in remote areas homes can still be heated through wood furnaces as the burning of wood gives off a lot of heat. In addition, wood is used in both western and indigenous cultures as a form of expression. Carving with wood is one example of woodworking in which both the western and indigenous culture practice.
Another example of where wood is used in indigenous cultures today is for dream catchers. In particular, the dream catchers that are made out of wood are given to children. This is because the wood dries up and breaks, which for a child symbolizes the how short the years of childhood are.
Wood holds different significance in different cultures as well as a varied amount of importance throughout the decades. In present times, wood is mostly used for building construction of homes and is normally processed into lumber. In the past, wood was used not only for building construction of homes, but for furniture, transportation, tools, fuel, etc. It was the main building material.
Wood is still very prevalent in today’s world. Many homes are still built with wood, and in remote areas homes can still be heated through wood furnaces as the burning of wood gives off a lot of heat. In addition, wood is used in both western and indigenous cultures as a form of expression. Carving with wood is one example of woodworking in which both the western and indigenous culture practice.
Another example of where wood is used in indigenous cultures today is for dream catchers. In particular, the dream catchers that are made out of wood are given to children. This is because the wood dries up and breaks, which for a child symbolizes the how short the years of childhood are.