Plant Products

Plant products are used for different uses, depending on their natural properties. The softness of cotton makes it ideal for clothing. The Springiness of rubber makes it perfect for products from rubber bands to rubber gloves

How is cork produced?

Cork comes from a tree called the cork oak. The cork is the thick, spongy bark. It is stripped away from the lower trunk, then left to grow upto ten years before the next harvest. Cork is used to make many things, from bottle corks and bulletin board to floor tiles.

What is kapok?

Kapok is similar to cotton, It comes from the kapok tree, which is cultivated in Asia and can be as tall as 160 feet. The fluffy seed fibres are used to stuff mattresses, jackets, quilts, and sleeping bags.

How is cotton turned into cloth?

Cotton is a soft fibre that grows naturally around the seeds of the cotton plant, forming "bolls". These are "ginned" to remove the seeds; spun, or twisted, into thread; and then woven to make a cloth.

What is rubber?

Rubber is sap of some plants, particularly the para rubber tree. The trees are pierced, or trapped, and the sap drips slowly into the waiting container.

What wood makes the best cricket bat?

The best cricket bats are made in India, from the willow, a white willow. The blade (the part of ball strikes) is made from, and the handle from different wood or cane.

Can plants produce fuel to run cars?

The copaiba tree of Amazon rain forest yield an oil similar to diesel fuel that can be used to run engines. Oilseed rape, soybean, and the petroleum nut tree of southeast Asia can also used to produce biofuels, or plant fuels. As crude oil reserves are used up, biofuels may become important.