Lesson 3: Nature's Treasure Chest

Biodegradable: being able to be broken down or decomposed by natural means.

Cells: the basic building blocks of living things.

Cellulose: the material that makes up plant cell walls.

Fiber: thin threads that bind together to form animal and plant matter.

Lignin: the sticky substance that binds plant cells together.

Natural Resource: material we use from our environment for housing, clothing, food energy, etc. Natural resources can be classified as renewable or non-renewable.

Non-Renewable Resource: exists in a limited amount that takes thousands of years to replenish. Examples are fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas.

Pulp: the mash

Recyclable: being able to be utilized again, often by being restructured into something else.

Renewable Resource: has the capability of replenishing itself in a human lifetime. For example, if a tree is harvested, it will regenerate from a seed that was dropped from a cone or planted by a human.