A complex organic polymer that strengthens and waterproofs plant cell walls, particularly in woody tissues. It provides rigidity and resistance to decay, allowing plants to grow tall and survive in various environmental conditions.
From Latin 'lignum' meaning 'wood.' The term was first used in 1813 by Swiss botanist Augustin Pyramus de Candolle, who recognized this substance as the component that makes wood hard and gives it its characteristic properties.
Lignin is what turned plants into skyscrapers! Before lignin evolved, plants were stuck being short and squishy, but this biological concrete allowed them to build the first forests and eventually become the massive trees that dominate landscapes today.
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