Wood anatomy
Definition
The microscopic cellular structure of wood, including vessel arrangement, ray type, fibre dimensions, and parenchyma distribution. These features are species-specific and form the basis of forensic wood identification, which is used in illegal logging investigations and physical evidence analysis.
Related terms
- Diatom
- A microscopic alga with a silica cell wall (frustule) bearing species-specific surface ornamentation. Diatoms are abundant in freshwater, marine, and brackish environments....
- Forensic palynology
- The application of pollen and spore analysis to legal investigations. A forensic palynologist identifies the species composition of pollen assemblages from crime-scene...
- Plant macrofossil
- A plant fragment large enough to be seen with the naked eye or low magnification: leaves, seeds, bark pieces, root fragments. Macrofossils...
- Pollen assemblage
- The full complement of pollen and spore types recovered together from a sample, characterised by species identity and relative abundance. Assemblages are...
- Secondary transfer
- The movement of a glass fragment from a primary surface (which contacted the broken glass) to a secondary surface (which contacted the...
Explained in
- Botanical Evidence: An OverviewThe microscopic cellular structure of wood, including vessel arrangement, ray type, fibre dimensions, and parenchyma distribution. These features are species-s...