It refers to substances that, like western gum and cherry tree gum (Angem), are secreted from the plant's members on the outside, and this is done spontaneously or by creating cracks and wounds in the plant's organs. In addition, gums are always caused by the destruction of the cellulose membrane. Gums have a tasteless and sticky taste. In alcohol, ether and fatty substances are insoluble. With the similarities between gums and mucilage, it seems difficult to find a definite boundary that distinguishes these two categories. The difference between the two is that mucilage are not excreted due to
ulceration of plant members and are not always caused by the destruction of the cellulose membrane, but result from the activity of protoplasm, while the gums are glucoside compounds. Whether they are secreted naturally or by clefts from various organs of some plants, gums are non-crystalline and odorless. If they are in water, they dissolve in it or, like tragacanth, dissolve in it. They form a gelatinous mass. By placing different types of gum in the water, all the intermediate steps between the two states can be seen. If gums are hydrolyzed, they form arabinose, galactose, and sometimes xylose, depending on the type of gum.