边材生理机能及心材形成机理的研究进展

树木的边材是木质部内具有生理功能的组织，心材虽无生理功能，但对木材的利用却有非常重要的影响。树木心材形成机制是木材科学中几个尚未完全了解的问题之一。本文总结了有关边材生理机能与心材形成机理研究的重点成果，据此来讨论特异性带色心材的形成及调控机制。鉴于含水率对边材薄壁细胞生理机能的重要性，通过揭示木射线组织如何在心边材中间区调控水分导致心材形成的机理，为心材的人工调控提供一定的理论基础。 

A review of physiological function of sapwood and formation mechanism of heartwood

Sapwood of trees is a living tissue in the xylem to perform certain physiological functions. Although the heartwood does not perform physiological functions, yet it has great influence on wood utilization. The mechanism of heartwood formation is one of the unsolved issues in the field of wood science. The objective of this paper was to review key research results on the physiological activities of sapwood in relation to heartwood formation. On these grounds, the formation and control of obligatorily colored heartwood were discussed. Since the importance of moisture content to ray cell physiology, understanding of how rays control moisture content in the sapwood transition zone may be able to provide theoretical bases for artificial control of heartwood formation.