An Overview of Microfibril Angle in Fiber of Tension Wood

Abstract

The angle between helical windings of microfibrils in the secondary cell wall of fibers and the long axis is called microfibril angle (MFA). Stiffness of wood depends on variations in the MFA. The large MFA shows low stiffness, which is found in juvenile wood and this character make threes vulnerable to high winds breaking. Timber containing a high proportion of juvenile wood is unsuitable for use as high-grade structural timber. On the other hand, the small MFA in wood shows high stiffness, which has importance in a good view of the trend in forestry. The timber with high stiffness is commonly high economic value. They are grown mainly for construction, timber and furniture. Until date, it is under pressure for increased timber production means that ways will be sought to improve the quality of timber by reducing MFA. Commonly, MFA decrease during the formation of tension wood therefore study on tension wood related to MFA formation is important for MFA reduction in normal wood. The study on tension wood formation could predict expression patterns of genes/proteins for reduction of MFA. Herein, the orientation of microfibril and MFA in cell wall layers of normal and tension wood fiber are discussed.