Fun Facts About Xylotomy

Xylotomy defines the preparation of tiny slivers of wood for examination under a magnifying device.

A xylotomist may be gainfully employed as a forensic investigator. These specialized professionals work match wood traces to crime scenes or to criminals.

A xylotomist may also be employed as a biologist or a lumber expert. Identifying a species of specific tree from a small sliver can be accomplished through applied Xylotomy.

One tool used by professional and amateur xylotomistis the microtome. This high-precision device aids in biological microscope slide preparation. A "hand and table" microtome may cost as little as $100, while a freezing microtome may run as high as $500. A Senior Precision Rotary Microtome could set you back $700.

Xylotomy requires application of the Gibbs adsorption isotherm for multicomponent systems. This mouthful represents an equation used to relate the changes in concentration of a component in contact with a surface with changes in the surface tension.

Adsorption is the measure of the adhesion of molecules of atoms to a specific surface.

Xylotomy represents a useful source of paleobotanical data. Anatomical characteristics of petrified wood can be correlated with environmental conditions and can be used to generate suppositions regarding climate.

Dendrochronology, the science of tree ring dating, uses information generated through the application of Xylotomy.

A Xylotheque is a collection of wood samples.The xylotheque with the largest number of samples is thought to be the Samuel James Record Collection of the Forestry School of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. It encompasses about 60,000 samples of wood. This type of repository is essentially a library of wood: woodworkers, wood technicians, and arborists all visit the collection to perform research and just to learn a little more about wood.