Question

Which of the following is a coconut milk factor?
(A) Auxin
(B) Cytokinin
(C) Morphactin
(D) None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: It is the hormone which helps in plant growth. This hormone helps encourage lateral and adventitious growth of the shoot and has been used to stimulate growth of the shoot in culture.

Complete answer: Coconut milk is a derivative of coconut oil. It is not the liquid that can be drained out of a punctured coconut, though this is believed by many. The flesh can be found all over its inner walls, when a coconut is sliced open. A mature coconut should have a thick, creamy white skin, suitable for processing into coconut milk. If the flesh looks yellow it will most probably be rancid. A coconut may still be used to make milk with relatively thin, dry flesh, but the milk will not be creamy.

Now lets us find the solution from the given options-
1. Auxins are contained in growing roots and stem apices, and then migrate to other parts for action. It is not a factor of coconut milk.
2. There are several factors attributing coconut milk to plant growth, the main cause being the presence of a cytokinin contained in coconut milk known as zeatin. Although zeatin in coconut milk usually speeds plant growth, in some plants, such as radishes, it does not speed up growth.
3. Morphactins are a group of substances that work upon morphogenesis and modulate plant expression. It is not a factor of coconut milk.

Thus, the right answer is option B i.e., Cytokinin

Note: Zeatin is a crystalline, off white to yellow powder. It encourages the growth of lateral buds and induces cell division when sprayed on meristems to produce bushier plants. Zeatin and its derivatives are the active ingredient in coconut milk that induces growth of the plants.