Concept in Definition ABC

Some plants have a structure in their roots and leaves mobile called laticifer, from which the latex is obtained. It is a whitish and creamy substance formed by a complex combination of elements: water, organic resins, protein, starch and carbohydrates. Therefore, latex is a natural substance that turns into a particularly elastic material. From the point of view of botany, latex was identified in the 17th century by the French researcher Charles Marie de la Condamine.

How is it obtained?

Is raw material It is extracted from the rubber tree and for this a fairly simple procedure is followed: the bark of the tree is they make several V-shaped incisions and from these grooves a white sap flows which finally becomes latex. The rubber tree is not harmed by this process, since the eliminated secretion facilitates its regeneration.

Many mattresses are made with latex

This raw material stands out for its elasticity. On the other hand, it is also a hard and flexible material. All this makes this material ideal for manufacturing comfortable surfaces, especially mattresses. There are thousands of items made from latex, most of them for the health and textile sectors.

Mattresses made with latex come in two versions: natural or synthetic. The former are recognized because they have a label that indicates 100% natural origin, which is a guarantee of quality. These mattresses stand out for their great adaptation to the shape of the body.

In its synthetic mode, mattresses are manufactured with petroleum derivatives and with a natural latex coating. Both versions must be correctly certified so that the consumer knows the raw material from which the mattress he wants to buy is made.

Healing properties and possible allergy

In the field of alternative medicine it is affirmed that some varieties of natural latex have healing properties, since it acts as a healing substance, to relieve ulcers of stomach or to eliminate worms. It is worth remembering, on the other hand, that some people are allergic to latex and when this happens it is important to avoid contact with any material that has this substance.

In the world of programming

In 1984 Leslie Lamport devised a new language of programming and he named it latex (this language was inspired by a previous one called Tex). This programming system is used to create documents with high typographic quality and is widely used in the publishing of books that include mathematical expressions.

Photos: Fotolia - Kokhanchikov / lcrribeiro33