Fibers and all their uses

Question 1

How are plant fibers used by humans?

Answer 1

Woven to produce clothing, tools, structures

Question 2

What are some characteristics of plant fibers?

Answer 2

Mainly cellulose (glucose polysaccharide). Very strong, durable, and absorbant. Indigestible by humans

Question 3

How can plant fibers be separated from other plant cell material?

Answer 3

Mechanical processes like ginning or retting in moisture

Question 4

What are the 3 types of plant fibers?

Answer 4

1. Surface fibers
2. Bast (soft) fibers
3. Leaf (hard) fibers

Question 5

What is the most widely used plant fiber (common and plant family name)? What type of plant fiber is this?

Answer 5

Cotton from the Malvaceae family. A surface fiber, because we harvest the soft fibers which coat the seeds

Question 6

What is the scientific name of the cotton species which we use most commonly? Where did this species originate?

Answer 6

Gossypium hirsutum, of Mexican origin

Question 7

What originally made cotton fibers very labour intensive? How did this get improved in 1793? By who?

Answer 7

Had to separate the lint from the seeds by hand. In 1793 Eli Whitney invented the mechanical gin which was 50x more efficient than separating by hand

Question 8

How was the introduction of cotton initially received in Europe?

Answer 8

Existing textile merchants were super opposed (thought it would drive them out of business or something…)

Question 9

What effect did the massive increase in cotton production because of the mechanical gin lead to?

Answer 9

Major exports of cotton to Europe and resurgence in slavery (which had been on the decline)

Question 10

What percentage of the Southern US population consisted of African slaves in 1850

Answer 10

50% (that’s a lot), most of them worked on cotton

Question 11

What major conflict was fought over cotton production? When? How many died?

Answer 11

The US civil war between 1861-1865. Led to 600 000 dead (white combatants)

Question 12

Why was Bt cotton (from Monsanto) so revolutionary to cotton production? Why is this especially significant in India?

Answer 12

Cotton is naturally subject to damage by insects, Bt cotton has a natural insecticide which has led to much greater production in India especially (the only GM crop allowed in India)

Question 13

Which nation produces the most cotton today? Which nations are second and third?

Answer 13

1. China
2. India
3. US

Question 14

What is an Andean “khipu”? What became of these?

Answer 14

A recording system using knotted ropes of different colours. Contains census information but may also have depicted narrative! Many destroyed by Spanish conquistadors

Question 15

What part of plants is harvested for bast (soft) fibers?

Answer 15

The phloem tissue on the inner bark of dicots

Question 16

What are some characteristics of hemp? What is the scientific name for the species used to produce this?

Answer 16

Cannabis sativa. One of the earliest cultivated plants. Fast growing, long fibers used for rope and canvas (even the original blue jeans)

Question 17

What plant family does the species which produces jute belong to? What is jute mostly used for?

Answer 17

Malvaceae (the same family as cotton and cacao). Used for rough ropes and burlap

Question 18

What has flax been used for historically? What differentiates it from cotton?

Answer 18

Linen cloth (oldest textile fiber). Stronger and shinier than cotton, with round fibers

Question 19

What sort of plant is generally used to produce leaf (hard) fibers?

Answer 19

fast growing, tropical monocots

Question 20

What plant family does the species which produces manila hemp belong to? What is manila hemp used for?

Answer 20

Musaceae, the banana family. Used in manila envelopes, tea bags, and paper money bills (pre-plastic)

Question 21

How was peruvian feather grass used by the early people of South America?

Answer 21

The strong fibers were braided into cables to make suspension bridges, linking the widespread Incan empire by a complex road system