Pam Wright, age 11, Of Scottsdale, Ariz., for her question:

Do termites really eat wood?

It is impossible for us to digest the tough cellulose fibers in wood, and most animals have the same problem. However, many of the tiny termites feed on wood and nothing but wood. These so-called white ants tunnel their nests in beams and tree trunks. They use the wood as food and building material.

But even the termites cannot digest the woody cellulose without help. Their digestive tracts teem with protozoa, tiny one celled animals. These midgets break down the woody tissues into chemicals which the termites can digest. If the protozoa are destroyed or removed from the texmites, the grubby little white ants cannot digest wood. And soon perish from starvation.