The utilization of natural raw materials has been practiced for centuries. Of raw materials, wood and its bark have outstanding significance because of their special chemical components and unusual structure. Annual bark production is estimated to be between 300 and 400 million m3. The bark of different tree species has been used extensively in or in conjunction with modern technologies. This article presents a comprehensive summary of these methods of utilization and their results. The diversity of bark utilization derives from the variety of the bark of different species and from the possibilities encoded in the material. Following the anatomic summary, the protective role of the bark is discussed, highlighting its physical-chemical properties and the different methods of medical, energetic, and industrial utilization.

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The tree bark has been used by mankind for centuries in various ways. The bark has special structure and chemical components, and it is used mostly among the natural raw materials. The bark has numerous functions during the lifespan of the plant, while itself is also changing due to its age. The outer bark is very diverse, depending on the species, the age and ecological factors. Between 3 and 4 hundred thousand cubic meter bark is produced yearly by forestry and woodworking industry, which is utilized in many ways, most of the bark is still burned. The article provides a literature review in the field of studies of the structure, properties, traditional and modern methods of using tree bark. After a short anatomical review, the protective role of bark for a living tree, the use of bark as an indicator of environmental pollution are discussed. Physical properties, chemical composition of the bark, debarking methods are considered. The complex chemical composition, wide variety of secondary metabolites, the physical and mechanical properties of the bark make it possible to use bark in medicine, the energy sector, agriculture and various fields of industry. The chemical exploration of the bark and producing different compounds from it, the production of particle and fiber boards based on bark, heat-insulating boards, composite materials, and water and gas clarification are increasingly comes to the front and becoming the most perspective areas of application of tree bark as a unique natural material and a renewable resource representing huge potential for use in various fields of human life.