Latex

This article may be too technical for most readers to understand. Please help improve it to make it understandable to non-experts, without removing the technical details. (April 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water.^[1] Latices are found in nature, but synthetic latices are common as well.

In nature, latex is found as a milky fluid, which is present in 10% of all flowering plants (angiosperms).^[2] It is a complex emulsion that coagulates on exposure to air, consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins, and gums. It is usually exuded after tissue injury. In most plants, latex is white, but some have yellow, orange, or scarlet latex. Since the 17th century, latex has been used as a term for the fluid substance in plants, deriving from the Latin word for "liquid".^[3][4][5] It serves mainly as defense against herbivorous insects.^[2] Latex is not to be confused with plant sap; it is a distinct substance, separately produced, and with different functions.

The word latex is also used to refer to natural latex rubber, particularly non-vulcanized rubber. Such is the case in products like latex gloves, latex condoms, latex clothing, and balloons.