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Phenols - Phenols are the basic building blocks for many antimicrobial compounds. Trees, especially hardwoods, seem to be full of phenols. Phenols also figure in the tanning process where protein is combined with gallic acid and other substances. When protein is tanned it is no longer available as a food source-leather from hides. The reader more interested in phenol chemistry and the pathways that form the many phenol-based materials should start by reading some chemistry textbooks. We use phenol-based here and elsewhere because the number and types of phenols in trees almost seems endless. Phenols are the basic molecules in angiosperms that polymerize to form protection substances.