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Natural rubber
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The Rubber Tree (Hevea brasiliensis)
Rubber is a valuable commodity in today's economy. A vast number of products are made from it, including washers, gloves, gaskets, tubing, waterproof clothing, toys, erasers, belts, elastics, bottle stoppers, and insulation for electrical wiring. The largest single use of rubber is in the manufacture of pneumatic tires which consumes 60% to 70% of the total world production each year. Demand for rubber has grown remarkably since the beginning of the industrial revolution.
It is one species, Hevea brasiliensis, which makes up 99% of the world's natural rubber production. In 1989 that production was worth an estimated 4 billion dollars.
Hevea brasiliensis (the para rubber tree) is a South American native that can grow to a height of 150 feet. The trees have a smooth bark and palmately compound leaves. They are monoecious and have small inconspicuous flowers. The seeds are akin to castor beans. On ripening, the fruit capsule explodes and propels the seeds away from the tree.
Hevea brasiliensis is a member of the family Euphorbiaceae (the spurge family). Euphorbiaceae is a diverse family with approximately 290 genera and 7,500 species. Within the family, there are herbs, shrubs, trees, and fleshy cactus-like species. Some plants from this family are used for their medicinal properties and edible parts. Others are used simply as ornamentals.
While there are many useful plants in the family Euphorbiaceae, the sweet and bitter cassava plants (Manihot dulcis and Manihot esculenta), as well as the castor oil plant (Ricinus communis), are of greatest economic importance.
Latex bearing plants are found in some 20 botanical families. The most prominent families include Sapotaceae, Moraceae, Compositae, Apocynaceae, Asclepiadaceae, and Euphorbiaceae. In total there are about 18,000 species of latex-producing plants. Yet, only a few species are currently exploited.
Commercially useful rubber-producing species include Hevea benthamiana (Para rubber), Hevea guianensus (Para rubber), Manihot glaziovii (Ceara rubber), Manihot dichotoma (Jeque rubber), Castilla elastica (Panama rubber), Ficus elastica (India rubber), Funtimia elastica (Lagos rubber), Landolphia kirkii (Landolphia rubber), Landolphia gentilli (Landolphia or Madagascar rubber), Landolphia heudelotii (Landolphia or Madagascar rubber), Landolphia owariensis (Landolphia or Madagascar rubber), Crytostegia grandiflora (Madagascar rubber), Crytostegia madagascariansis (Madagascar rubber), Parthenium argentatum (Guayule), Taraxacum kok-saghyz (Russian dandelion), Taraxacum megalorhizon (Russian dandelion), Palaquim gutta (Gutta percha), Manilkara bidentata (Balata), and Manilkara zapata (Chicle).
Depending on the species of plant, the latex may be found in a number of locations. It may be within the cells or intercellular spaces of the roots, stems, or leaves of the plant.
Many variations and species of plants can be found all around the world and in different habitats. These variations and characteristics are due to their adaptations to the natural habitat surrounding them. In three of many climatic zones, the arid, tropical and temperate zone, plants that vary greatly from each other are found in these locations. In this experiment, we’ll be observing the connection between the adaptations of the plants to their environment at the Fullerton Arboretum. The arboretum is a space containing numerous plants from different environments. The plants are carefully looked after and organized into their specific habitat. Therefore, we’ll be able to take a look at the plants within multiple
Tera W. Hunter, “Domination and Resistance: The Politics of Wage Household Labor in New South Atlanta,” in Darlene Clark Hine, ed., We Specialize in the Wholly Impossible: A Reader in Black Women’s History (Carlson Publishing, Inc., 1995)
Peyote was originally described in 1560, however it was not until the middle of the nineteenth century that botanists were able to conduct field research and correctly classify the cactus (Anderson, 1980). Field studies have concluded that there are two distinct populations of peyote which represent two species. The first and most common, Lophophora williamsii extends from southern Texas reaching south to the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi. The second and least common of the two species is Lophophora difusa, which occurs in the dryer terrain of the Mexican state of Queretaro. This species differs from the more common species by, "being yellowish-green rather than blue green in color, by lacking any type of ribs or furrows, by having poorly developed podaria (elevated humps), and by being a softer, more succulent plant" (Anderson 1980). Native Americans use peyote in their religious practices because of its psychoactive properties, and is usually eaten as mescal buttons, the dried, brown pieces of the above part of the cactus (Lewis, 1977).
Amy Tan, in ?Mother Tongue,? Does an excellent job at fully explaining her self through many different ways. It?s not hard to see the compassion and love she has for her mother and for her work. I do feel that her mother could have improved the situation of parents and children switching rolls, but she did the best she could, especially given the circumstances she was under. All in all, Amy just really wanted to be respected by her critics and given the chance to prove who she is. Her time came, and she successfully accomplished her goals. The only person who really means something to her is her mother, and her mother?s reaction to her first finished work will always stay with her, ?so easy to read? (39).
specimens with the corresponding scientific description, photographs, specific maps and there are drawings that document the research. This collected images of plants continue the artist’s fascination with documentation, community engagement and art as a way to address larger social issues. This exhibit was interning to me to see all the different plant and to know that plants in the city unknown to most there are often edible, medicinal or even poisonous plants.
In the article Mother Tongue, Amy Tan indicates that American immigrants have limitations on speaking English and emphasizes the fact that different language styles interpret people’s unique identities. Tan’s personal experiences show that mother’s “imperfect” English influences her for a life time, and even changes her writing languages.
Dandelions, known to the botanist as Taraxacum officinale, are classified in the Composite (Compositae) family of flowering plants. The genus name, Taraxacum is derived from the Persian word for "bitter herb," (Myer, 1994). Accompanying the golden ruse of the dandelion are the daisies, aster, sunflowers, goldenrod, Joe Pye weed and many other wildflowers.
The ecosystem I have chosen is tropical rainforest. In the following paragraphs, I am going to firstly introduced the structure of tropical rainforest in brief, with the second part of the plant ecology and last the diversity within this ecosystem.
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly referred to as the United Kingdom, or “UK” for short, is a country located in Western Europe. It rests between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea and is a medium sized country, ranked 80th in the world based on its size of 243,610 km2 (CIA 1). It has a temperate climate, with rugged hills and low mountains. The Fens is the lowest point in the UK at four meters below sea level (CIA 4). In contrast, the highest point is in Ben Nevis, at 1,364 meters above sea level (CIA 9). In the east and south-east, the land is made up of mostly plains. Only about a quarter of the land in the UK is suitable for growing crops, but there are many natural resources in the region. Some of these resources include coal, petroleum, gold, and more (CIA 12). The diverse resources in the United Kingdom help to keep its’ economy stable.
I find the study of language and it 's impact on society an incredibly intriguing look into the human psyche. It is deeply touching when Tan speaks of how society 's perceptions impacted her relationship with her mother, and how it affected her own self-image. It reminded me of the many times I have seen someone is treated differently and considered to be less valuable, for not being able to communicate to the other party 's satisfaction. Her desire to try and change society 's perceptions fro the better is truly admirable and
Cotton is an annual, biennial or perennial plant, but in cultivation it is generally treated as an annual; herbaceous to short shrub or small tree - two to six feet tall. It consist of a primary axis, erect and branched with a vegetative lower zone having monopodial branches, and a fruiting upper zone with sympodial branches. The leaves of the cotton plant alternate, cordate petiolate, three to nine lobed and palmately veined, with varying size, texture, shape and hairiness. The large, showy, cream yellow, red or purple flowers are extra axillary, terminal, solitary, and borne on sympodial branches. The calyx (= collectively the sepals) consists of a very short cup-shaped structure at the base of the corolla. The five petals of the corolla are either free or slightly united at the base of the convoluted bud (Sundararaj, 1974).
There are also environmental and economic reasons for becoming vegetarian. Some people are not aware of these reasons, but a lot of environmental destruction is linked to meat production, especially cattle farming. Huge areas of f...
I have three siblings along with three nephews. I have a younger sister, older sister, and one older brother. My older sister is the one that had my nephews. We all lived under the same roof until I moved out for college. My mother was more like my father in the house because my father was away working for us, and even though my siblings are her children, it seems that they 're her siblings too. It felt that I was the parent of my nephews and little sister because of the way I had to care for them because everyone else was working. I connect with my immediate family firmly. We always look out for each other because we mean so much to one another. I
Growing up as a child, I have always enjoyed reading books and writing. As I got older I began to lose interest in reading. It seemed to me that the words were becoming harder to pronounce, and the long words were discouraging for me because I didn’t know the meaning of them. I have always been good at writing, but I have never been a huge fan of reading. Reading and writing are both significant skills that are needed in life. Having the knowledge to read and be highly educated in this world today will get you a long way. Reading and writing both play a major part in our daily lives today. We communicate by using both skills whether you are texting, or emailing, and if you are unable to do these, it can impact your life.
I remember that, when being taught to read I already knew more words than I had realized. Watching my dad’s finger skim under the words as he read them had helped me subconsciously learn those words. I learned to read and write at a much more accelerated pace than my peers. I felt impatient with those who lagged behind, not realizing that not everyone had been given the same advantages as me. The moment I started to read on my own, my great aunt, a retired kindergarten teacher, would send me a box of books she had used in her classroom every year for my birthday. Throughout elementary school, when I received the box, I would bring it up to my room and practice reading all the books on my own. Being able to read on my own opened the door to a world I hadn’t been able to reach without help