The characteristic feature of woody cells is the special

nature of their cell walls. The gross structure and the


properties of the mature woody cell arise from the nature
and organization of the chemical compounds which make
up the wall and the systematic way in which the cell wall is
constructed by the cytoplasm.
Wood tissue is composed principally of a group of polymer
substances that make up the cell walls. These compounds
are mixed in the wall, which is directly reflected in the
physical and mechanical properties of wood. In addition
there are many different kinds of organic and inorganic
materials which present in admixture with walls or cell
lumens.
 Primary components

A. Total polysaccharide fractions, expressed as
holocellulose-- 60-85%
1. Cellulose—40-50%
Long chain polymer with low solubility
2. Hemicellulose –20-30%
Non cellulose polysaccharide; these are readily
soluble in dilute alkali
hydrolysable by dilute acids to component sugars
and uronic acids.
B. Lignin –15-30%
 Secondary components
a. Tannins 
b. Volatile oils and resins
c. Gum, latex, alkaloids, and other complex organic
compounds including dyes and coloring materials
d. Ash- usually less than 1 %
The primary components basically established the chemical
and physical nature of the cell wall. The most important
single component is the cellulose, which has primary
relation to the physical behaviour of the wood as a whole.
The hemicellulose and lignin in the wall also important
influences on the behaviour of the wood through volume
and characteristics.
Polysaccharide Fractions of the Cell Wall
The polysaccharide fractions, i.e the polymers of the
simple sugars, are isolated from the wood by first
removing the soluble materials with either alcohol and

water and then removing the lignin. The polysaccharide
materials are separated into two fractions by treatment (1)
the insoluble cellulose, and (2) a mixture of alkali soluble
polymers of simple sugars known as hemicellulose.
Holoellulose fraction is the combination of cellulose and
hemicellulose in wood.
A. Cellulose
Cellulose is the most important single component in the
woody cell wall in terms of volume and characteristics in
wood. Cellulose has been characterized as a stable fibrous
residue of woody and non woody tissue, resistant to attack
by chemicals.
B. Hemicellulose
Hemicellulose constitute from 0.5 to 50 % of the
polysaccharides in the cell wall substance and from 20 to 35

% of the total dry weight of the cell wall substance. The
definition of hemicellulose is even less precise than that of
most other plant constituents and is based mainly on
chemical behaviour. Hemicellulose constitute that portion
of the total polysaccharides in wood which for the most
part is soluble in dilute alkali and hydrolyzes readily in
dilute acid to form sugar and sugar acids. This
hemicellulose fraction is composed of two general classes
of substance (1) those collectively called xylans, whose
molecules are formed by polymerization of the anhydro
form xylose, arabinose, and 4 methyl glucoronie acid (2)
hemicellulose called glactoglucomannans in softwoods.
