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Q.What is the role of auxins and ethylene in plant growth?

Jharkhand JacJAC Intermediate Board (1st Year) 2022Subjective· 3mImportance★★★★★
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Auxins mainly drive growth-related processes (elongation, tropisms, apical dominance) while ethylene mainly drives maturation/ageing processes (ripening, senescence, abscission) — together they regulate a wide range of plant growth and development events.

Role of auxins:

  • Promote cell elongation, especially in the coleoptile/shoot tip region (this is what Went's classic experiments with oat coleoptiles demonstrated).
  • Maintain apical dominance — auxin from the shoot apex suppresses growth of lateral (axillary) buds; removing the apex (as in pruning/pinching) releases lateral buds from this suppression.
  • Cause tropic movements (phototropism, geotropism) through asymmetric (lateral) distribution of auxin across the organ, causing one side to elongate faster than the other and bend the organ.
  • Promote root initiation in stem cuttings — widely exploited in horticulture (e.g. rooting hormone powders).
  • Prevent premature fruit/leaf abscission, and can induce parthenocarpic (seedless) fruit development.
  • At high concentrations, synthetic auxins (e.g. 2,4-D) act as selective herbicides against dicot weeds.

Role of ethylene:

  • A simple gaseous hormone; the classic hormone for fruit ripening — triggers the characteristic colour, softening, and aroma changes (commercially, ethephon is sprayed to artificially ripen fruit, e.g. mangoes/bananas/tomatoes).
  • Promotes senescence (ageing) and abscission of leaves, flowers and fruits. …

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