Plant Hormones & Tropisms

Plant hormones
Hormone was first used to describe
substances in animals
a substance produced in a gland that
circulates in the blood and has an effect far
away from the site of production
In plants used to mean a compound
that acts at low concentrations to affect
growth and development.
Affect division, elongation and
differentiation
Primary growth
Apical meristem
Leaf primordia
Forming axillary bud
Ground meristem
protoderm
procambium
Secondary growth
xylem
Phloem with
bands of fibers
Vascular cambium
Ray parenchyma
cork
Plant Responses to Environment
Tropisms vs Taxisms +/-
Thigmotropism Physical Contact.
Chemotropism Chemicals
Thermotropism Temperature
Traumotropism Wounding
Electrotropism Electricity
Skototropism Dark
Aerotropism Oxygen
Gravitropism Gravity
Phototropism light

Plants in Motion
Tropisms
Tropic responses
Directional movements in
response to a directional stimulus
Thigmotropism
Thigmotropic Response & Turgor
movement in Mimosa pudica
Phototropism
Photoperiodism, or the
response to change in length
of the night, that results in
flowering in long-day and
short-day plants
Geotropism/Gravitropism
Plant hormones
Five plant hormones known by the mid 1960s,
new compounds called plant growth regulators
Signal molecules produced at specific locations.
Occur in low concentrations.
Cause altered processes in target cells at other
locations.

The five hormones
Auxins
Cytokinins
Gibberellins
Ethylene (ethene)
Abscisic acid

Other plant growth
regulators
Brassinosteroids
Salicylic acid
Jasmonic acid
Systemin
Summary of Functions of Major Plant Hormones
Hormone Function Location
Auxins (IAA)*
stem elongation
apical dominance
root formation
produced in shoot
apical meristem
Cytokinins
cell division
differentiation
produced in roots
Gibberellins
(GA)*
stem & internode
elongation
seed germination
produced in apical portion
of root & shoot
Ethylene* abscission fruit ripening
produced in leaves, stems
& young fruits
Abscisic Acid
suppression of bud growth
stomatal opening
leaf senescence
mature leaves, fruits &
root caps
*most horticultural/ agricultural applications
Auxin
Auxins primarily stimulate cell
elongation
Auxins also have many secondary
actions: root initiation, vascular
differentiation, tropic responses,
apical dominance and the
development of auxiliary buds,
flowers and fruits.
Auxins are synthesized in the stem
and root apices and transported
through the plant axis.
Auxins are often most effective in
eliciting their effects when combined
with cytokinins.

Auxin associated with phototropism - early experiments
demonstrate tip as receptor.
Additional responses to auxin
Inhibits abscission - loss of leaves
flower initiation
sex determination
fruit development

Auxin Flavors:
Indoleacetic Acid (IAA)
Phenylacetic Acid (PAA)
4-chloroindoleacetic Acid (4-chloroIAA)
Indolebutyric Acid (IBA)

Loosening of cell wall
Auxin promotes rooting
Promotes Apical dominance
Auxin as a weed killer
Many synthetic auxins are used
as selective weed killers and
herbicides. 2, 4 - D (2, 4 -
dichloro phenoxy acetic acid) is
used to destroy broad leaved
weeds. It does not affect
mature monocotyledonous
plants. Causes a plant to grow
itself to death
More readily absorbed by
broad-leaved plants
Most often the weed of Weed
and Feed lawn fertilizers

Parthenocarpy
Auxin induces parthenocarpy, the formation of
seedless fruits without the act of fertilization.
Control of abscission by auxin
Formation of an abscission
layer at the base of petiole
or pedicel results in
shedding of leaves, flowers
or fruits. But auxins inhibit
abscission, as they prevent
the formation of abscission
layer.
Auxin Spray Prevents
Premature Fruit Abscission
and Increase in Yield.
a) Auxin Sprayed; b) Auxin
not Sprayed
The infamous side of auxin
Active ingredient in Agent Orange
Chemicals with auxin activity sprayed
(together with kerosene) on forests in
Viet Nam to cause leaf drop (and fire)
The chemical process used to make the
auxins also made dioxin, an extremely
toxic compound
Cytokinins
Cytokinins are able to stimulate cell
division and induce shoot bud
formation in tissue culture.
They usually act as antagonists to
auxins.

Morphogenesis.
Lateral bud development.
Delay of senescence.
Stomatal opening.
Rapid transport in xylem stream.

Function of cytokinins
Promotes cell division.
Morphogenesis.
Lateral bud development.
Delay of senescence.
Stomatal opening.
Rapid transport in xylem stream.
Other cytokinin facts
Cytokinins delay and
even reverse
senescence
Release buds from
apical dominance
Cytokinins
Auxin
Interaction of
cytokinin and
auxin in
tobacco callus
tissue
High cytokinin to auxin ratio causes differentiation of shoots.
A low ratio of cytokinin to auxin causes root formation.
Intermediate cytokinin to auxin ratio causes formation of roots as
well as shoots.
Intermediate cytokinin to low auxin causes growth of large
amount of callus.
Gibberellin
Gibberellins are an extensive
chemical family with >80
compounds in plants
The main effect of gibberellins
in plants is to cause stem
elongation and flowering.

Also prominently involved in
mobilization of endosperm
reserves during early embryo
growth and seed germination.

Gibberellin Signal Transduction
Gibberellins
Now known to be
essential for stem
elongation
Dwarf plant varieties often
lack gibberellins
Gibberellins are involved
in seed germination
gibberellins will induce
genes to make enzymes
that break down starch
Promotion of flowering.
Seed Germination caused by
Mobilization of reserves
Scarification
mechanical
chemical
heat

Gibberellins are involved in bolting
of rosette plants
Gibberellin induces stem
elongation in rosette plants.
Cabbage is a rosette plant with
profuse leaf growth and retarded
internodal length. Just prior to
flowering, internodes elongate
enormously. This is called bolting.
Bolting needs either long days or
cold nights. When a cabbage head
is kept under warm nights, it
retains its rosette habit. Bolting
can be induced artificially by the
application of gibberellins under
normal conditions.
Discovered in association with Foolish
disease of rice (Gibberella fujikuroi)
infected uninfected
Found as the toxin produced by some fungi that caused rice to grow too
tall
Gibberellins are used to improve
grapes

EK2.E.1: Timing and coordination of specific
events are necessary for the normal
development of an organism, and these
events are regulated by a variety of
mechanisms.
b. Induction of transcription factors during
development results in sequential gene
expression.

3. Temperature and the availability of water
determine seed germination in most plants.
Abscisic acid (ABA)
Incorrectly named, not related to abscission,
slows plant growth
Important in drought stress and other stresses
Causes stomatal closure
Prevents premature germination of seeds
(enhances dormancy)
Changes gene expression patterns
Ethylene
The smallest hormone
A gas
Important in seed
germination, fruit
ripening, epinasty,
abscision of leaves
Sex expression in
cucurbits
Functions of ethylene
Gaseous in form.
Rapid diffusion.
Affects adjacent individuals.
Fruit ripening.
Senescence and abscission.
Interference with auxin transport.
Inhibition of stem elongation
Positive feedback mechanisms amplify responses in
organisms. Amplification occurs when the stimulus is
further activated which, initiates an additional
response that produces system change.
EK2.C.2: Organisms respond to changes in
their external environments.

a. Organisms respond to changes in their
environment through behavioral and
physiological mechanisms.
Photoperiodism and phototropism in plants
EK 2.E.2: Timing and coordination of
physiological events are regulated by
multiple mechanisms.

a. In plants, physiological events involve
interactions between environmental stimuli and
internal molecular signals.
1. Phototropism, or the response to the presence of
light
2. Photoperiodism, or the response to change in
length of the night, that results in flowering in long-
day and short-day plants
EK 2.E.2: Timing and coordination of
physiological events are regulated by
multiple mechanisms.

b. Responses to information and communication
of information are vital to natural selection.
1. In phototropism in plants, changes in the light
source lead to differential growth, resulting in
maximum exposure of leaves to light for
photosynthesis.
2. In photoperiodism in plants, changes in the length
of night regulate flowering and preparation for winter.

Mammalian Circadian Rhythms
Resources
Plant Hormones Info
Plant Hormones, Nutrition & Transport
Tropism Animation
Auxin in Cell Walls
Plant Responses to Environmental Challenges: Signaling between
Plants and Pathogens
Growth/Hormones
Plants in Motion
Auxin Animation
Transpiration Lesson
How Hormones Protect Seed Development in Peas Virtual lab
Herbicide Mechanisms & Animations