Difference between cork and bark

The main difference between cork and bark is that cork is an insulating, tough and sticky outer layer of cells in the bark that restricts water loss, while bark is a protective outer layer of woody plants that provide storage and transport.

Cork against bark

Cork is a layer of bark that emerges from the outer surface of the cork cambium of cells, while the bark is the outer protective layer of woody plants. The cork acts as an insulating, resistant and waxy cell layer that prevents the loss of water from the stem and roots, while; the bark serves as a protective layer that provides transportation and storage for wood plants.

The formation of the cork occurs through the cork cambium, and the division of the cork cambium cells includes the cork cells that are responsible for the formation of the cork. And the formation of the cortex is by both layers of cork cambium and vascular cambium. Cork is itself the part or component of the bark; however, the cortex is composed of many layers of cork cambium, cork, phelloderm, secondary phloem, vascular cambium, and secondary xylem. The cells of the cork tissue are dead and the suberin is present in the cell walls of the cork tissues, while the cells of the cortex tissues are alive, such as the secondary phloem and the cambium of the cork.

The use of cork is in the production of table mats to keep tables from being hot, wine bottle stopper caps, insulators, coasters, container cap sealing, engine gaskets, floors, fishing rod handles and tennis rackets, etc .; on the other hand, the uses of the bark include the production of splints, resins, tiles, latex, flavorings, medicines, spices, ropes and clothing.

Comparative chart

Cork is a tough, sticky, insulating outer layer of bark cells that restricts water loss from the stem and roots. The cell division of the cork cambium includes cork cells that are responsible for the formation of the cork. Cork is one of the layers among other layers of the bark. The bark cambium, phellogen, and pericambium are also known as cork cambium.

The epidermis of the plant is replaced by cuboidal cells, filled with suberin that is generated in the outer layer by the cork cambium. Cork cells become dead cells when suberin becomes saturated in the cork cambium with suberin, and these dead cells further serve as a protective layer that is impermeable or resistant to air and water. It also protects against the incursion of insects, bacteria and fungi that cause infection, thus acting as a barrier against any damage or pathogens. Still, due to the existence of lenticels, which are pores in the crust, it causes gas exchange within the cork. For this reason, vegetable cork is widely used to make stoppers and insulation products. As a result,

Phelloderm are the cells on the inside of the cork cambium, while the cork cells are the cells that are present on the outside of the cork cambium. Periderm consists of cork and cork cambium and cork, which is the outer part of the bark. Each plant varies in its cork thickness. Commercial cork is made from a type of tree called a cork oak. The use of cork is in the production of table mats to prevent tables from being hot, wine bottle stopper caps, insulators, coasters, container cap sealing, engine gaskets, floors, fishing rod handles and tennis rackets, etc.

The bark is the outer layer of woody plants that serves as a protective layer that provides transport and storage for wood plants. The bark consists of layers of cells outside the vascular cambium that covers the wood. The bark can be divided into two layers; the inner layer of cortex and the outer cortex. The inner cortex has periderm inner living tissues and is alive with some meristematic cells. The outer crust has cork cells that are dead.

Anatomically and functionally, the bark is a complex part of plants, consisting of many layers. The bark has three layers of cork, cork cambium, and secondary phloem. The vascular cambium forms the inner cortex consisting of secondary phloem. Cuboidal cells are present in the cork cambium which divides and produces cork cells. Mature or old stems and trunks have dead tissues in their outer bark outside the periderm; therefore, its outer cortex is also called a rhytidome. The lifespan of the cork cambium is shorter than that of the vascular cambium.

Wound healing, storage of organic materials and water, translocation, and protection of internal tissue cells from mechanical damage and infection are the main functions of a cortex. Uses of the bark include the production of splints, resins, tiles, latex, flavorings, medicines, spices, rope, and clothing.

The mature stem bark layers from the outside to the inside include the first ‘bark’ layer, which consists of three other divisions; ‘pericardium’ consisting of cork (phelema), rhytidome, cork cambium (phellogen), feloderm, and ‘bark’ and ‘phloem’. The second layer is the “vascular cambium.” The third is ‘Wood (xylem)’, which is divided into sapwood (sapwood) and heartwood (heartwood). The fourth layer is ‘Medulla (marrow)’.

1. Cork is a layer of bark that emerges from the outer surface of the cork cambium of cells, while the bark is the outer protective layer of woody plants.
2. The cork acts as an insulating, resistant and waxy cell layer that prevents the loss of water from the stem and roots, while; the bark serves as a protective layer that provides transportation and storage of wood plants.
3. The formation of the cork occurs through the cork cambium, which includes the cork cells and is responsible for the formation of the cork, while the formation of the cortex is by both layers of the cork cambium and the vascular cambium.
4. Cork is itself the part or component of the bark. On the other hand, the cortex is composed of many layers of cork cambium, cork, phelloderm, secondary phloem, vascular cambium, and secondary xylem.
5. The cells of the cork tissue are dead and suberin is present in the cell walls of the cork tissues. On the contrary, the cells of the tissues of the cortex are alive, such as the secondary phloem and the cambium of the cork.
6. The use of cork is in the production of table mats to prevent tables from being hot, wine bottle stopper caps, insulators, coasters, container cap sealing, engine gaskets, floors, fishing rod handles and tennis rackets, etc. on the other hand, the uses of the bark include the production of splints, resins, tiles, latex, flavorings, medicines, spices, ropes and clothing.

Final Thought

Cork and bark are outer layers of plants. The difference between cork and bark is based on its composition and function. Cork is a tough, waxy, insulating layer of cells, while bark is a protective layer that provides storage, transport, and is made up of cork, cork cambium, feloderm, bark, and the secondary phloem.