Question

Name the stress hormone in plants that functions during drought.

Answer 1

Hint: Hormones are the chemical compounds which regulate various types of physiological process. In case of conditions like drought, plants undergo some osmotic stress where ABA( abscisic acid) is a natural stress hormone, usually produced in stressful situations.

Complete answer:
- Hormones in plants are called phytohormones, which produce in very little quantity.
- Normally plants exposed to various kinds of situations like heat, drought, salinity, etc.
- Stress hormones are produced in the above given stressful situations so that it will help the plants to adapt to the extreme conditions.
- Some of the phytohormones like salicylates and Abscisic acid(ABA) they combine and form the defense system to fight against the extreme environments
- The important phytohormone that produces in the stressful condition is Abscisic acid, it also acts as an inhibitor that regulates abscission
- When come to chemical structure ABA is dextrorotatory and it is a racemic mixture
- In plants, it travels through xylem, phloem and Parenchyma

> Functions of ABA
- ABA in drought condition cause closer of stomata which prevent the intracellular water loss
- It surpasses the seeds in drought conditions and helps to germinate when the situations become normal.
- It maintains the plant water balance and osmoregulation.
- The plants that are the deficit of this ABA can’t undergo the stress situations.
- Apart from drought ABA is produced to some abiotic
- Stress such as salinity of the water and extremely hot temperature etc.

Additional information:
ABA acts as an endogenous hormone. Whenever tough situations arise, it produces In the life cycle of the plant, if there are any drought conditions it prevents the seed to germinate.
In case of the extreme salinity of water, it closes the stroma of the plants, which prevents the excessive entry of water.

Note: ABA produces in various conditions and almost in all stressful situations so this hormone is named as the stress hormone.