Lignin is a complex oxygen-containing organic polymer that, along with cellulose, is the main component of wood. It is the second most abundant organic material on Earth after cellulose, but it has few industrial applications other than as a fuel. Lignin, a secondary metabolite, is concentrated in wood cell walls and accounts for 24-35 percent of the oven-dry weight of softwoods and 17-25 percent of hardwoods.
Lignin is a phenolic compound (a —OH group attached to an aromatic ring) and a complex polymeric compound mixture. The proportion of each of the three monomers varies depending on whether the lignin is from a gymnosperm, a woody angiosperm, or a grass. Lignin adds compressive strength and stiffness to the plant cell wall and is thought to have aided in the evolution of terrestrial plants by allowing them to withstand gravity's compressive forces. Lignin also waterproofs the cell wall, allowing water to move upward in xylem tissues. Finally, lignin has antifungal properties and is frequently rapidly deposited in response to fungi injury, protecting the plant body from fungal enzymes and toxins.
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