Sap wood and heart wood can be distinguished in the secondary xylem. In any tree the outer part of the wood, which is paler in colour, is called sap wood are alburnum. The centre part of the wood, which is darker in colour is called heart wood or duramen. The sap wood conducts water while the heart wood stops conducting water. As vessels of the heart wood are blocked by tyloses, water is not conducted through them.
Due to the presence of tyloses and their contents the heart wood becomes coloured, dead and the hardest part of the wood. From the economic point of view, generally the heartwood is more useful than the sapwood. The timber form the heartwood is more durable and more resistant to the attack of microorganisms and insects than the timber from sapwood.
