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What role do fibers play in hardwood?
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wood
Temperate softwoods (left column) and hardwoods (right column), selected to highlight natural variations in colour and figure: (A) Douglas fir, (B) sugar pine, (C) redwood, (D) white oak, (E) American sycamore, and (F) black cherry. Each image shows (from left to right) transverse, radial, and tangential surfaces. Click on an individual image for an enlarged view.
In hardwood, fibers serve a primary role of providing mechanical support to the tree. While these cells may occasionally participate in water conduction, their structure is specialized for strength rather than transport.12
In the anatomy of hardwoods, there is a functional division of labor between cell types: vessel members are specialized for water conduction, while fibers are dedicated to the structural integrity of the wood. These fibers are axially oriented, tubelike cells with closed ends, typically measuring 1–2 mm in length. Along with vessel members and parenchyma, they form the axial system that determines the wood's grain and overall mechanical properties.21