Cork and bark are two outer components of woody plants. Bark is composed of cork, cork cambium, phelloderm, cortex, and the secondary phloem. The main difference between cork and bark is their structure and function. Cork serves as a protective barrier whereas bark has other functions such as storage and transport.

Bark plays an essential role in transporting photosynthetic products in plant tissues. Bark is also crucial to the mechanics of the stem. Furthermore, bark is involved in defense against herbivory, protects against fire, and provides insulation in cold conditions.

Role or function of cork It prevents loss of water by evaporation. It protects plants from invasion of parasites and other harmful microorganisms. It provides extra insulation and protection to the plant.

It is a completely natural raw material, with unique properties which give it an unrivalled character. It is light, impermeable to liquids and gases, elastic and compressible, provides thermal and acoustic insulation, it is a fire retardant and highly abrasion-resistant.

Cork flooring is:

• Durable. It resists cracking and abrasions and is impermeable to gas and liquid.
• Healthy. Cork is naturally resistant to mold, mildew and termites.
• Safe. Fire-resistant, cork will melt or ignite only at very high temperatures.
• Comfortable.
• Aesthetically versatile.
• Practical.

b) Cork cells are made impervious by a layer of suberin, a waxy material. Cork is formed by the division of cork cambium or the lateral meristem(phelloderm). Cork provides mechanical strength to trees and is fire resistant.

Answer: The characteristics of cork are as follows:

• Cells of cork are dead at maturity.
• These cells are compactly arranged.
• Cells do not posses intercellular spaces.
• Cells possess a chemical substance ‘suberin’ in their walls.
• There are several thick layers.

Cork is a layer formed by the secondary meristem in plants and composed of several thich layers of dead cells. the functions are. 1. Cork protects the plants by acting as a cushion against any physecal or mechanical injuries.

Cork cambium gives off new cells on its both sides, thus, forming cork (phellem) on the outer side and the secondary cortex or phelloderm on the inner side. The layer of cells which is cut by cork cambium on the outer side ultimately becomes several layered thick cork (bark) of trees.

The formation of the cork tissue is the end result of the meristematic activity of a specialized phellogen tissue, or cork cambium, followed by cell expansion and an extensive cell wall deposition of suberin and waxes and, ultimately, an irreversible program of senescence ending in cell death (Soler et al. 2007).

phellem

A mature cork cell is non-living and has cell walls that are composed of a waxy substance that is highly impermeable to gases and water called suberin. The layer of dead cells formed by the cork cambium provides the internal cells of the plants with extra insulation and protection. …

phellem in American English (ˈfɛlˌɛm ; ˈfɛləm ) noun. the layer of dead, corky cells produced externally by the cork cambium in the bark of woody plants; cork.

The phellem consists of layers of 1.4 ± 0.5 cells thick of very thin-walled phellem cells alternating with layers of 7.1 ± 1.5 thick-walled phellem cells. Seasonal sampling showed that the former and the latter were formed in the early and middle-to-late stages of the growing period, respectively.

The periderm is a cylindrical tissue that covers the surfaces of stems and roots of perennial plants during early secondary growth; therefore it is not found in monocots and is confined to those gymnosperms and eudicots that show secondary growth.

In botany, the term periderm is the outer covering of certain plants, especially woody plants. It is the outermost layer of the bark made up of cork cells, cork cambium, and phelloderm. It replaces the epidermis of the stems and roots of woody plants.

A group of tissues which replaces the epidermis in the plant body. Its main function is to protect the underlying tissues from desiccation, freezing, heat injury, mechanical destruction, and disease. Although periderm may develop in leaves and fruits, its main function is to protect stems and roots.

In most trees species, periderm is generated beneath, and eventually replaces, the epidermis and primary cortex of young tree shoot tips. As mentioned, periderm is usually located exterior to stem and branch phloem. It can also be generated along the interior of shallow wounds occurring outside of the xylem core.

The formation of periderm occurs during secondary growth. During this process, to replace the broken outer epidermal layer and the cortical layer, the cells of the cortex turn meristematic. As a result of this, cork cambium or phellogen is formed.

3 Skin-set and native periderm physiology. Tuber periderm is composed of (1) phellem (suberized cells), (2) phellogen (cork cambium), and (3) phelloderm (parenchyma-like cells derived from the phellogen) tissues (Reeve et al., 1969).

Phellem or cork, phellogen or cork cambium and phelloderm or secondary cortex collectively constitute periderm.