Just as we have skin that covers our body, plants have bark to protect their stem. Bark is the outer covering of the stem of woody plants. It is made up of waterproof cork cells. The bark protects the inner layer of food conducting tissue called the phloem. Therefore, if someone damages the outer bark of a tree and, in the process, destroys inner phloem, the tree will eventually die, as the damage will cause the tree to starving to death.
Have you observed that the external bark, which is the outermost part of the tree that you see, is often very hard and rough? This is because the cells of the bark are dead and become hardened. However, we know that the tree keeps producing new cells. The new cells constantly push the order cells outward, causing the tree to grow wider and wider. This kind of growth can put a lot of pressure on the outermost cells, causing them to break. When this phenomenon regularly happens, the pressure from growth results in more breaking and tearing. Thus, the bark of trees is generally found to be rough. Rain and wind also contribute to the roughness of the bark.
The hard bark helps keep water from evaporating from the tree. It also keeps insects from eating the tree. Therefore, the rough bark is important for the tree’s growth and well being.
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