A tree is an amazing miracle of nature. If this plant did not appear, then our world would never have become the way we used to see it. And life itself as such would not exist, because it is the trees that produce oxygen, which is so necessary for the development of most organisms.
But how much does a person know about a tree? How well did he study its constituents, types and methods of reproduction? Do you know why many trees drop their leaves in autumn? And what even today puts scientists at a loss?
What is a tree?
Even first-graders should know the answer to this question, because this is material from the primary school curriculum. A tree is a species of perennial plants, the hallmark of which is the presence of a stiffened trunk. Moreover, over the years, it only increases in size, and does not die off at the end of each season.
Trees grow almost everywhere, with the exception of Antarctica and some desert territories. True, even in the hottest corners of the Earth, covered with hot, lifeless sand, you can find secluded oases with lushly growing palm trees and laurels.
Types of trees
In general, this type of plant is usually divided into two large species: coniferous and broad-leaved.
As the name suggests, a conifer is one that has instead of leaves various needles and scales. Vivid examples of such crops are spruce, pine, cypress and fir. However, most conifers are evergreens.
Broad-leaved, on the contrary, at the ends of twigs have thin leaves. At the same time, their shape, depending on the specific species of tree, varies greatly. In most cases, only by their appearance can one determine exactly which plant they belong to.
Also, a person selected in separate classes those trees that can bring him special benefit. For example, there are fruitful plants that are cultivated in gardens to harvest from them. There are also valuable species whose wood is intended for the construction of houses, shelters, crossings, and even ships.
Tree structure
A tree is a very complex mechanism. Even today, scientists cannot understand some of the processes taking place inside his cells. In particular, photosynthesis is of particular interest to them, due to which carbon dioxide is converted into oxygen. This is such a complex chemical process that, even having understood its nature, chemists still cannot reproduce it in the laboratory.
If we talk about the general structure of the tree, then everything is much simpler. It consists of four main parts: roots, trunk, branches and leaves. Moreover, each of these components performs its own unique and indispensable function.
What do trees do in autumn and winter?
As mentioned earlier, some trees remain green all year, while others drop leaves from themselves with the advent of the first cold weather. Particularly inquiring minds asked themselves: "Why are they doing this?"
Firstly, it is a self-preservation mechanism developed over many years of evolution. The thing is that trees in winter, due to frost, become very fragile. This is especially true for small branches that have not yet had time to grow stronger. If the leaves do not fall, then snow will settle on them, thereby increasing their weight. Ultimately, this will lead to the fact that the branches begin to bend and break.
Another reason for falling leaves is the slowdown of all life processes in the tree trunk. It seems to hibernate, which lasts until spring. However, scientists still do not know for sure exactly when hardwood began to behave this way. As for their coniferous "brothers, " they have a similar mechanism of sleep is almost completely absent.
