Bark (botany)

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/bark-botany

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary functions?Protection against desiccation, pathogens, and mechanical damage; transport of photosynthates via phloem
2. What is the periderm composition?Consists of cork cambium, cork (phellem), and phelloderm, providing a waterproof barrier
3. What is bark and why does a tree need it?Bark is the outer layer of a tree that protects it from damage, keeps water inside, and helps move food from the leaves to other parts of the tree.
4. How does bark help trees move food from leaves to roots?The inner bark, called secondary phloem, carries sugars made in the leaves to the roots, fruits, and storage organs, so the tree can grow and repair itself.

Vascular Cambium: A cylindrical layer of actively dividing cells that produces secondary xylem and secondary phloem.
Secondary Phloem: The living tissue within bark responsible for translocating sugars produced during photosynthesis.
Periderm: The outermost protective layer of woody stems and roots, composed of cork cambium, cork, and phelloderm.
Rhytidome: The outermost layer of bark, often fissured, formed by successive periderms.