InsideWood
Definition
A peer-reviewed online database at North Carolina State University containing anatomical descriptions and photomicrographs for over 10,000 hardwood species, used as a reference in forensic timber identification.
- Field
- Forensic wood and timber identification
- Host institution
- North Carolina State University
- Coverage
- Over 10,000 hardwood species
- Content
- Anatomical descriptions and photomicrographs
Common questions
How is InsideWood actually used in a forensic timber case?+
An examiner sections the questioned wood, photographs its anatomical features under the microscope, and compares vessel arrangement, ray structure, and other diagnostic characters against InsideWood's reference entries to narrow or confirm species identification.
Why does timber identification rely on a database rather than a printed key alone?+
A searchable database lets an examiner filter by combinations of anatomical features across thousands of species at once, which is far faster than working through a traditional dichotomous key, especially for wood from regions with sparse published keys.
Related terms
- IAWA Feature List
- A standardized set of coded anatomical characters published by the International Association of Wood Anatomists for hardwoods (1989) and softwoods (2004), used...
- Parenchyma
- Thin-walled, roughly spherical or elongated cells that form the bulk of soft plant tissues, including the leaf mesophyll. They are the most...
- Ray
- A ribbon of cells running radially (outward from the centre) through wood, carrying materials horizontally and storing starch. Ray width (in cell...
- Ring-Porous vs Diffuse-Porous
- In ring-porous woods, large vessels form a distinct band in early wood and smaller vessels in late wood. In diffuse-porous woods, vessel...
- Vessel
- A conducting cell in hardwood (angiosperm) xylem, visible on a cross-section as a pore. Vessel arrangement, diameter, grouping, and wall features are...