What exactly is LINSEED OIL?

I have used linseed oil in a few of its different forms; this versatile substance, depending upon how it is processed, can be used as a binder and thinner for oil paints, as a varnish for wood, as a health supplement and in medicines, and those are just the most basic, well-known uses.
     Linseed oil is... well... an OIL, a 'plant oil'. It is derived from the FLAX SEED, a small, usually yellowish-brown seed produced by the FLAX PLANT. We'll get back to the seed in a moment, let's visit the flax plant because, as the parent of the flax seed and linseed oil, it is worthy of a little fame on this site.
     Flax, grown in many parts of the world now, originated in the general area spreading from the Mediterranean to India. The plant grows to a little over 3 feet tall, with pretty blue flowers, and can take over large fields like a weed. It's one of the most versatile plants ever, almost every part of it is widely used in some kind of industry, but the plant's fibers and seeds are the most utilized. The coarser fibers are used in making rope and twine, and the finer fibers are used for making high-quality fabrics like lace and linen paper. Products from the seeds are used in dyes, soaps, medicine, laxatives, food additives and supplements, and linoleum, to name a few... as well as linseed oil.

      Linseed oil is extracted from the flax seeds, and then it is put through a variety of processes, depending on its end use. It ranges in color from clear to a dull, or even vivid, yellowish color, and has an (depending on your tastes) agreeable nutty aroma to it. In its purest, least-processed state it is generally referred to as FLAX SEED OIL, or FLAX OIL, and is becoming popular and well-studied by science for its possible health benefits. I'll cover a little about that on the 'supplements' page. When the solvents are processed from flax seed oil they become inedible, even toxic, and the name is changed to linseed oil, the product we are familiar with in oil painting and wood varnishing.
     The pictures below: 1. An illustration of the Flax plant and its parts. 2. A photo of growing flax, with its blue flowers. 3. Bottles of linseed oil. The color is very yellowish-golden, like many oils derived from other seeds or nuts. In the banner at the top of the page, the entire background is flax seeds, about 5x their actual size.