The fibrous nature of wood strongly influences how it
is used. Wood is primarily composed of hollow,
elongate, spindle-shaped cells that are arranged
parallel to each other along the trunk of a tree. When lumber
and other products are cut from the tree, the characteristics of
these fibrous cells and their arrangement affect such properties
as strength and shrinkage as well as the grain pattern of the
wood. This chapter briefly describes some elements of wood
structure.
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