PLANT HORMONES

Regulating Plant Growth (Campbell Chapter 39)

I. Plant Hormones
a. Differentiation in plants is reversible
b. Regeneration of a plant can occur from a differentiated tissue (FC Stewart, 1950s  carrots)
c. Formation of specialized tissues in plants occurs in 5 stages
d. Expression of genes in plant cells is controlled by hormones
e. Hormones are produced in tissues (apical meristems) that carry many other functions (not
specialized endocrine structures as in animals)
f. Five major kinds of hormones
i. Auxin
ii.Gibberellins
iii. Cytokinins
iv. Ethylene
v.Abscisic acid (ABA)

II. Auxin
a. Primary growth-promoting hormone
b. Increases plasticity of plant cell walls, allowing growth in a specific direction
c. Promote formation of lateral roots
d. Plant cells in the shade have more auxin and grow faster, elongating more than cells on the
lighted side, causing the plant to bend towards light
i. Frits Went, 1926 plant physiologist  demonstrated the effects of auxin on plant growth

III. Other Plant Hormones

a. Gibberellins
i. Over 100 naturally occurring hormones
ii.Synthesized in apical portions of shoots and roots
iii. Play a role in regulating stem elongation  promotes elongation of stem between
leaf nodes
iv. Hasten seed germination  substitute effects of cold or light requirement
v. Used commercially to space out the flowers of grape vines by extending the
length of the internodes  more room for fruits to grow
b. Cytokinins
i. In combination with auxin, stimulates cell division and determines the course of
differentiation in plants
ii.Influence the activation of proteins required for mitosis
iii. Produced in the roots
iv. Promote growth of lateral buds into branches
v.Inhibits formation of lateral roots
vi. Application of cytokinins to leaves detached from a plant retards its yellowing
c. Ethylene
i. Gas produced in relatively large quantities during a phase of fruit ripening (when food
respiration is at its highest rate)
ii. When applied to fruits  ethylene hasten their ripening
iii. Used to speed the color formation in fruits (fruits are picked green and the
artificially colored by the application of ethylene
d. Abscisic acid
i. Synthesized in mature green leaves, fruits and root caps
 ii. Causes ethylene synthesis  ethylene promotes leaves abscission
iii. Opposing effects of cytokinins (test with leaves)
iv. Causes dormancy of many seeds
1. ABA levels increase during seed development and decrease during germination
v.Also functions in transpiration
1. During drought conditions  leaves produce large amounts of ABA  inducing
closure of stomata (within the order of minutes) by stimulating transport of K+
ions out of guard cells

IV. Photoperiodism
a. Mechanism by which organisms measure seasonal changes in relative day and night length
b. Flower production
i. Categories of plant’s flowering responses
1. Long-day plants
2. Short-day plants
3. Day-neutral plants
ii.Experiment – the length of uninterrupted night triggers flowering response

V. Dormancy
a. The ability of plants to stop growing when conditions are not favorable

VI. Tropisms
a. Directional and irreversible growth responses of plants to external stimuli
i. Phototropism (response to light)
ii.Gravitropism (response to gravity)
iii. Thigmotropism (response to touch)