The extraction of latex from a tree; latex is used in rubber production

Latex refers generically to a stable dispersion (emulsion) of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. A tree is a perennial Woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or An emulsion ( IPA: /ɪˈmʌlʃən/ is a mixture of two Immiscible (unblendable liquids Latexes may be natural or synthetic. Latex as found in nature is the milky sap of many plants that coagulates on exposure to air. It is a complex emulsion in which proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins and gums are found. Proteins are large Organic compounds made of Amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by Peptide bonds between the Carboxyl This article is about the chemical compounds alkaloids For the Pharmaceutical company in the Republic of Macedonia see Alkaloid (company. Starch, CAS # 9005-25-8 Chemical formula (C6H10O5n is a Polysaccharide Sugar is a class of edible Crystalline substances mainly Sucrose, Lactose, and Fructose. Tannins are Astringent, bitter plant Polyphenols that either bind and Precipitate or shrink Proteins The astringency from the tannins is what Resin, not to be confused with Rosin, is a Hydrocarbon Secretion of many Plants particularly coniferous trees. Natural gums are Polysaccharides of natural origin capable of causing a large Viscosity increase in solution even at small concentrations In most plants, latex is white, but some have yellow, orange, or scarlet latex.

The word is also used to refer to natural latex rubber; particularly for non-vulcanized rubber. Vulcanization (or Vulcanisation refers to a specific curing process of Rubber involving high heat and the addition of Sulfur or other equivalent curatives Such is the case in products like latex condoms and latex clothing. A condom is a device most commonly used during Sexual intercourse. Latex Rubber is used in many types of clothing. Rubber has traditionally been used in protective clothing including Gas masks and Wellington boots It can also be made synthetically by polymerizing a monomer that has been emulsified with surfactants. In Chemistry, chemical synthesis is purposeful execution of Chemical reactions in order to get a product, or several products In Polymer chemistry, polymerization is a process of reacting Monomer Molecules together in a Chemical reaction to form three-dimensional networks A monomer (from Greek mono "one" and meros "part" is a small Molecule that may become chemically bonded to other An emulsion ( IPA: /ɪˈmʌlʃən/ is a mixture of two Immiscible (unblendable liquids Surfactants are wetting agents that lower the Surface tension of a liquid allowing easier spreading and lower the Interfacial tension between two liquids

Sources

The cells or vessels in which latex is found make up the laticiferous system, which forms in two very different ways. The cell is the structural and functional unit of all known living Organisms It is the smallest unit of an organism that is classified as living and is often called This is an article about vascular tissue in plants For transport in animals see Circulatory system. In many plants, the laticiferous system is formed from rows of cells laid down in the meristem of the stem or root. A meristem is a tissue in all Plants consisting of undifferentiated cells ( meristematic cells) and found in zones of the plant where growth can take place A stem is one of two main structural axes of a Vascular plant. ROOT is an object-oriented program and library developed by CERN. The cell walls between these cells are dissolved so that continuous tubes, called latex vessels, are formed. A cell wall is a tough flexible and sometimes fairly rigid layer surrounding a cell, located external to the Cell membrane, which provides the cell with structural This method of formation is found in the poppy family, in the rubber trees (Para rubber tree and Castilla elastica), and in the Cichorieae, a section of the Family Asteraceae distinguished by the presence of latex in its members. A poppy is any of a number of showy Flowers typically withone per stem, belonging to the poppy family. The Pará rubber tree ( Hevea brasiliensis) often simply called rubber tree, is a Tree belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae Castilla elastica, the Panama rubber tree, is a tree native to the tropical areas of Mexico and Central America which was in Pre-Columbian The family Asteraceae or Compositae (known as the aster, daisy, or sunflower family) is the largest family of Flowering Dandelion, lettuce, hawkweed and salsify are members of the Cichorieae. Lettuce ( Lactuca sativa) is a Temperate annual or Biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. Hawkweed refers to any species in the very large genus Hieracium and its segregate genus Pilosella, in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae See also Aruncus, which is also known as "goatsbeard" It is also present in another member of the Asteraceae, the guayule plant. Parthenium argentatum, commonly known as Guayule (/gwɑː'juː

In the milkweed and spurge families, on the other hand, the laticiferous system is formed quite differently. The Spurge family ( Euphorbiaceae) is a large family of Flowering plants with 300 genera and around 7500 species Early in the development of the seedling latex cells differentiate, and as the plant grows these latex cells grow into a branching system extending throughout the plant. In the mature plant, the entire laticiferous system is descended from a single cell or group of cells present in the embryo. An embryo (from Greek:, plural, lit "that which grows" from en- "in" + bryein "to swell be full" is a multicellular

The laticiferous system is present in all parts of the mature plant, including roots, stems, leaves, and sometimes the fruits. In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis. The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context and the term is not synonymous in Food preparation and Biology. It is particularly noticeable in the cortical tissues. In Botany, the cortex is the outer of the stem or Root of a plant bounded on the outside by the epidermis and on the inside by the Endodermis

Several members of the fungal kingdom also produce latex upon injury. Notable are the milk-caps such as Lactarius deliciosus. Fungi of the genus Lactarius, sometimes called milk-caps, are characterized by the fact that they exude a milky fluid ('latex' if cut or damaged Lactarius deliciosus, known as the Saffron milk cap, Red pine mushroom is the one of the best known members of the large milk-cap genus Lactarius

Natural function of latex

Rubber latex

Many plant functions have been attributed to latex. Some regard it as a form of stored food, while others consider it an excretory product in which waste products of the plant are deposited. Still others believe it functions to protect the plant in case of injuries; drying to form a protective layer that prevents the entry of fungi and bacteria. A fungus (ˈfʌŋgəs is a eukaryotic Organism that is a member of the kingdom Fungi (ˈfʌndʒaɪ The Bacteria ( singular: bacterium) are a large group of unicellular Microorganisms Typically a few Micrometres in length bacteria have Similarly, it may provide some protection against browsing animals, since in some plants latex is very bitter or even poisonous. It may be that latex fulfills all of these functions to varying degrees in the numerous plant species in which it occurs.

Uses of latex

The latex of many species can be processed to produce other materials. Natural rubber is the most important product obtained from latex; more than 12,000 plant species yield latex containing rubber, though in the vast majority of those species the rubber is not suitable for commercial use. ^[1].

Latex is also used as a binding agent in latex paint. Paint is any Liquid, liquifiable or mastic composition which after application to a substrate in a thin layer is converted to an opaque Solid

Balatá and gutta percha latex contain an inelastic polymer related to rubber. Balatá ( Manilkara bidentata) is a species of Manilkara native to a large area of northern South America, Central America and Gutta-percha ( Palaquium) is a genus of tropical Trees native to Southeast Asia and northern Australasia, from Taiwan south to Latex from the chicle and jelutong trees is used in chewing gum. Chicle is the Natural gum from Manilkara chicle, which is a tropical evergreen tree native to Central America. For songs called "Chewing Gum" see Chewing Gum (song Chewing gum is a type of Confectionery traditionally made of Chicle

Poppy latex is a source of opium and its many derivatives. A poppy is any of a number of showy Flowers typically withone per stem, belonging to the poppy family. Opium is a Narcotic formed from the Latex (ie sap released by lacerating (or "scoring" the immature seed pods of opium poppies (

Latex clothing

Main article: Latex clothing

Latex is used in many types of clothing. Latex Rubber is used in many types of clothing. Rubber has traditionally been used in protective clothing including Gas masks and Wellington boots Clothing (also called clothes, accoutrements, accouterments, or habiliments) protects the Human body from extreme Weather It is different from rubber in that it is less refined and often thinner. Worn on the body (or applied directly by painting) it tends to be skin-tight, producing a "second skin" effect. It has a shinier finish than rubber.

Allergic reactions

Main article: Latex allergy

Some people have a serious latex allergy, and exposure to latex products such as latex gloves can cause anaphylactic shock. Latex allergy is a medical term encompassing a range of Allergic reactions to natural Rubber Latex. Latex allergy is a medical term encompassing a range of Allergic reactions to natural Rubber Latex. Anaphylaxis is an acute systemic (multi-system and severe Type I Hypersensitivity allergic reaction in humans and other Mammals Guayule latex is hypoallergenic and is being researched as a substitute to the allergy-inducing Hevea latexes. Parthenium argentatum, commonly known as Guayule (/gwɑː'juː Hypoallergenic is a term coined by advertisers (based on the Greek prefix Hypo meaning "below normal" or "slightly" and first used in a cosmetics The Pará rubber tree ( Hevea brasiliensis) often simply called rubber tree, is a Tree belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae

Some allergic reactions are not from the latex but from residues of other ingredients used to process the latex into clothing, gloves, foam, etc. These allergies are usually referred to as multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS).

Notes

External links

• Latex Allergy and Sensitivity
• Latex Allergies
• Latex Transportation